Refereeing career
Doyle started his refereeing career with the Association of Referees Leinster Branch of the IRFU [7] in 2001 and joined the London Society of RFU Referees in January 2003. He was promoted to the South East Group later in 2003 and to the National Panel in 2006. [11] He refereed the final of the Daily Mail Under 18 Schools Cup at Twickenham Stadium in 2007 [12] and the EDF Energy National Trophy Final in 2008. [13]
He was appointed as a trainee full-time official on 1 September 2008. [11] In May 2010, the Elite Referee Unit (ERU) of the RFU confirmed his full-time contract after successfully completing a two-year trainee programme that had seen him referee in the Premiership, the IRB Sevens circuit, the Churchill Cup and Pacific Rim Rugby Championship tournaments. [14]
He officiated at the 2009 IRB Nations Cup, [15] the 2010, 2011 and 2012 IRB Junior World Championship, and the 2010–12 European Nations Cup First Division.
He has regularly refereed matches in the RFU Championship, Premiership and the LV= Cup including important Final matches.
Doyle refereed his first European Challenge Cup match in the 2007–08 season on 18 January 2008 when he officiated at Dax verses Calvisano pool game. [1] His first Heineken Cup game followed in the 2010–11 season on 17 October 2010 (the pool game between Perpignan and Benetton Treviso). [1]
On 27 May 2014, it was announced that Doyle would referee the 2014 Aviva Premiership final, his first as referee. [16]
On 25 September 2015, Doyle refereed the 2015 Rugby World Cup Pool C match between Argentina and Georgia. [2]
Doyle refereed the opening match of the 2016 Six Nations Championship (between France and Italy). [17]
Premiership Rugby, officially known as Gallagher Premiership Rugby, or the Gallagher Premiership for sponsorship reasons, is an English professional rugby union competition, consisting of 10 clubs, and is the top division of the English rugby union system.
The England men’s national rugby union team represents England in men's international rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. England have won the championship on 29 occasions, winning the Grand Slam 14 times and the Triple Crown 26 times, making them the most successful outright winners in the tournament's history. They are currently the only team from the Northern Hemisphere to win the Rugby World Cup, having won the tournament in 2003, and have been runners-up on three further occasions.
Twickenham Stadium in Twickenham, south-west London, England, is a rugby union stadium owned by the Rugby Football Union (RFU), English rugby union governing body, which has its headquarters there. The England national rugby union team plays home matches at the stadium.
Terenure College RFC is a professional rugby union club based in the Terenure suburb of Dublin, Ireland. The institution, founded on 5 November 1940, currently plays in Division 1A of the All-Ireland League.
Daniel Stuart Care is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a scrum-half for Premiership Rugby club Harlequins and the England national team.
Rugby union in England is one of the leading professional and recreational team sports. In 1871 the Rugby Football Union, the governing body for rugby union in England, was formed by 21 rugby clubs, and the first international match, which involved England, was played in Scotland. The England national team compete annually in the Six Nations Championship, and are former world champions after winning the 2003 Rugby World Cup. The top domestic men's club competition is Premiership Rugby, and English clubs also compete in international competitions such as the European Rugby Champions Cup. The top domestic women's competition is the Premier 15s.
Conor O'Shea is an Irish rugby union coach and former player. He was the head coach of the Italy national team from 2016 to 2019. He played as a full back and occasionally at out-half and centre for Ireland, Lansdowne and London Irish. He has also coached London Irish and Harlequins, and held management positions with the English Rugby Football Union and the English Institute of Sport.
William Stuart Lancaster is an English rugby union coach and former player who currently works as the head coach of French Top 14 club Racing 92.
The Premiership Rugby Shield was launched in 2003 as the Premiership Rugby A League. It runs parallel to the Premiership Rugby seasons. Split into north and south pools, it comprises twelve sides. The clubs select players from their academy and first team squads to make up their A League teams. This gives both young and experienced players the opportunity to play competitive rugby week in week out. Players from feeder clubs are allowed to play under dual registration for additional development benefit. Despite Bristol Bears having played in the Championship for several seasons since 2003. Bristol United have been included in the Shield since its inception regardless of league status.
Chris White is an English international rugby referee. He is one of England's top rugby referees and has refereed at three Rugby World Cups.
Wayne Barnes is an English international rugby union referee and barrister. He is a regular referee in the English Premiership, and has refereed games in the Heineken Cup and the European Challenge Cup. At international level, Barnes has refereed matches at the Rugby World Cup, the Six Nations, the Rugby Championship and the Pacific Nations Cup competitions.
Benjamin Ryder Youngs is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a scrum-half for Premiership Rugby club Leicester Tigers and the England national team.
Kai Horstmann is a Zimbabwe born English rugby union player who plays for Exeter Chiefs in the Aviva Premiership. He formerly played for Worcester Warriors and Harlequins and has made over 175 Premiership appearances to date.
The 2010–11 Aviva Premiership was the 24th season of the top flight English domestic rugby union competition and the first one to be sponsored by Aviva. The reigning champions entering the season were Leicester Tigers, who had claimed their ninth title after defeating Saracens in the 2010 final. Exeter Chiefs had been promoted as champions from the 2009–10 RFU Championship, their first promotion to the top flight.
Jackson Wray is an English rugby union player.
The 2011–12 Aviva Premiership was the 25th season of the top flight English domestic rugby union competition and the second one to be sponsored by Aviva. The reigning champions entering the season were Saracens, who had claimed their first title after defeating Leicester Tigers in the 2011 final. Worcester Warriors had been promoted as champions from the 2010–11 RFU Championship at the first attempt.
The 2012–13 Aviva Premiership was the 26th season of the top-flight English domestic rugby union competition and the third one to be sponsored by Aviva. The reigning champions entering the season were Harlequins, who had claimed their first title after defeating Leicester Tigers in the 2012 final. London Welsh had been promoted as champions from the 2011–12 RFU Championship, their first promotion to the top flight.
The 2013–14 Aviva Premiership was the 27th season of the top flight English domestic rugby union competition and the fourth one to be sponsored by Aviva. The reigning champions entering the season were Leicester Tigers, who had claimed their tenth title after defeating Northampton Saints in the 2013 final. Newcastle Falcons had been promoted as champions from the 2012–13 RFU Championship at the first attempt.
John Lacey is a former Ireland A and Ireland Sevens rugby union international and current rugby union referee. As a player, Lacey spent most of career with Shannon in the All-Ireland League. He also represented Munster. As an international referee he has taken charge of matches in the Six Nations Championship, the Rugby Championship and the Rugby World Cup. He also refereed the 2013 Pro12 Grand Final and the 2015–16 and 2016–17 European Rugby Challenge Cup finals.
Luke Pearce is a British 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.
