World Rugby is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. World Rugby organises the Rugby World Cup every four years, the sport's most recognised and most profitable competition. It also organises a number of other international competitions, such as the World Rugby Sevens Series, the Rugby World Cup Sevens, the World Under 20 Championship, and the Pacific Nations Cup.
Steve Walsh is a retired professional rugby union referee from New Zealand. He officiated at international level from 1998 to 2014, and at three Rugby World Cups, including refereeing the semi-final between South Africa and Argentina in 2007. Walsh became the most experienced Super Rugby referee in 2014, passing Jonathan Kaplan's record before retiring from the game in 2015.
Wayne Barnes is a retired English international rugby union referee. He was a frequent referee in the English Premiership, and refereed games in the Heineken Cup and the European Challenge Cup. At international level, Barnes refereed matches at the Rugby World Cup, the Six Nations, the Rugby Championship and the Pacific Nations Cup competitions.
James Thomas Leckie is a rugby union referee from Sydney, Australia. Originally a teacher and sportsmaster at Trinity Grammar School, Leckie took up refereeing in 1994 and became a full-time referee in 2007. He was appointed to his first test match in 2006, which was a 2007 Rugby World Cup qualifying match between Hong Kong and Korea. He was appointed to the 2005 IRB Under-19 World Championship final and was introduced on to the 2006 IRB panel of touch judges and TMOs for test matches. James has continued to be include on the IRB panel of assistant referees in subsequent years. He has also refereed the rugby union final at the Commonwealth Games and a final at the Hong Kong Sevens. Leckie is also a regular referee in Super Rugby and in 2009, was named as one of 9 referees from the SANZAR countries, on the merit based panel, who are to take charge of at least 75% of all games. This is so the best 9 referees from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, take charge of the Southern Hemispheres best players and teams.
Romain Poite is a French former rugby union international referee. Poite retired in November 2021 after refereeing 72 tests, refereeing the third-most international tests in international rugby behind Nigel Owens (Wales) and Wayne Barnes (England). He made his debut in 2006, and has been a referee at three World Cups, including the 2019 Final.
Jaco Peyper is a former South African Rugby Union referee.
The 2013 Pacific Nations Cup rugby union tournament was held between five national sides in the Pacific Region: Canada, Fiji, Japan, Tonga, and USA.
Chris Pollock is a former rugby union referee who represented the New Zealand Rugby Union. In 2008, he was part of the IRB's touch judge panel. He made his international referee debut in 2005, when he refereed Niue vs Tahiti, while his first IRB appointment was in 2006, taking charge of Hong Kong vs Japan.
Francisco Pastrana is a Rugby Union referee who represents the Argentine Rugby Union. Until 2003, he played Fly Half for the famous Hindu Club in Buenos Aires till injuries took their toll and forced him to stop playing in 2003.
Fhatuwani 'Rasta' Rasivhenge is a South African rugby union referee who is a member of the South African Rugby Union (SARU) Premier Panel. He was appointed to referee the final of the rugby sevens tournament at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Mathieu Raynal is a professional rugby union referee. He officiates at the highest level in the Top 14, European club rugby, and is on the World Rugby referee panel. In 2013, he broke his two legs in two places after getting too close to the action.
Matt O'Brien is a New Zealand-born Australian professional rugby union referee. He has officiated on the IRB Sevens World Series circuit since 2011 and was appointed to the Super Rugby referees panel for 2014 and 2015.
Andrew Lees is an Australian professional rugby union referee. He has been a member of the Super Rugby referees panel from the 2012 season and onwards.
Marius van der Westhuizen is a South African professional rugby union referee, currently on the Premier Panel of the South African Rugby Referees' Association.
Federico Anselmi is a rugby union referee who represents the Argentine Rugby Union (UAR). He also is a referee for Major League Rugby in North America.
Mike Fraser is a New Zealand Rugby Union elite referee.
Benjamin Dennis O'Keeffe is a rugby union referee from New Zealand. He currently referees at domestic, Super Rugby and test match level.
Luke Pearce is a Welsh rugby union referee representing the Rugby Football Union. He is a regular referee in the English Premiership and has refereed games at European level and at the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
Alexandre Ruiz is a professional rugby union referee who represents the French Rugby Federation. He is a regular appointment at Top 14 and has recently joined the top level of European Rugby.
Graham Cooper is an Australian professional rugby union referee.
