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]
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