| World Rugby Referee Award | |
|---|---|
| Awarded for | Distinguished long-term service to the game and refereeing |
| Date | 2001 |
| Presented by | World Rugby |
| First awarded | 2001 |
| Currently held by |  David McHugh (2023) |
The World Rugby Referee Award (previously called IRB Referee Award for Distinguished Service) honours referees with a distinguished long-term service to the game and refereeing.
| Year | Winner | Refs |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 |  Ed Morrison | |
| 2002 |  Colin Hawke | [1] |
| 2003 |  Derek Bevan | |
| 2004 |  Jim Fleming | |
| 2005 | Paddy O'Brien | |
| 2006 |  Peter Marshall | |
| 2007 | Dick Byres | |
| 2008 |  Andre Watson | [2] |
| 2009 |  Francis Palmade | [3] |
| 2010 | Colin High | [4] |
| 2011 | Keith Lawrence | |
| 2012 | Paul Dobson | [5] |
| 2013 | Michel Lamoulie | [6] |
| 2014 | Bob Francis | [7] [8] [9] |
| 2015 | Nigel Owens | [10] [11] |
| 2016 |  Alhambra Nievas Rasta Rasivhenge | [12] |
| 2017 | Joy Neville | [13] |
| 2018 | Angus Gardner | [14] |
| 2019 | Wayne Barnes | [15] |
| 2021 | Andrew Cole | [16] [17] |
| 2022 | Tappe Henning | [18] |
| 2023 | David McHugh | [19] |
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