Referees Corner – Issue 11 – Sales – 2025/26

Welcome to another edition of Referees Corner. Today’s match officials for this fantastic Quarter Final game are Pierre Brousset (Fra) with Gianluca Gnecchi (Ita) and Filippo Russo (Ita). The TMO is Tual Trainini (Fra). Pierre was the man in the middle when we took on Leicester Tigers in the Champions Cup pool stages earlier this season. He is no stranger to refereeing Leinster at this stage in the competition. He was also in the middle for the Harlequins game in Croke park last season and the Northampton Saints semi final last May.

The Top 14 referee was promoted to the World Rugby panel for the rugby sevens season in 2017 and was chosen by the World Rugby match officials selection panel to represent France during the 2016-2017 season of the 7-a-side world circuit . In 2019 he was promoted to the French National Panel. He has been a regular referee in the European Rugby Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup also. He made his debut refereeing in the 2021–22 United Rugby Championship, refereeing the match between Benetton and Connacht, becoming the 8th Frenchman to referee in the competition. This is his 11th time refereeing Leinster. 

World Rugby has confirmed changes to the Emirates Match Official appointments for the Guinness Women’s Six Nations as a result of injuries suffered by Maggie Cogger-Orr (New Zealand) and Natarsha Ganley (New Zealand). A combination of injuries and a busy schedule with the Women’s Six Nations, Pacific Four Series and HSBC SVNS World Championship all taking place in April means an opportunity for Robbie Jenkinson of Leinster, a member of the World Rugby Talent ID Pathway, to step in. Robbie will referee Wales v France in Cardiff on 18 April and Italy v Scotland in Parma on 25 April, as well as replacing Ganley as assistant referee for Italy v England in Parma on 9 May. Well done to him.

The annual dinner of the Leinster Rugby Referees is the highlight of our social calendar and is always a great event. It takes place tonight in the Clanard Court Hotel in Athy presided by Brendan Conroy . During the dinner our annual awards will be handed out.  There are five main awards, one for lifetime achievement, referee of the year, refereeing performance of the year, referee who progressed the most during the year and one for club of the year. 

The lifetime achievement award is named after Ham Lambert. Ham was an Irish cricketer, rugby union player and later international rugby referee. By profession a veterinary surgeon, he was noted for being the first in Ireland to own a practice devoted to the care of companion animals. The award for referee of the year is named after Harold ‘Harry’ Ardill. Harry was instrumental in developing, recruiting and educating referees within Leinster. The Club of the Year award is named after Terry Doyle, former President of the association. The award was named after Terry in 2011 and the first recipients were Edenderry RFC. 

The Alain Rolland Referee Performance of the Year was won last year by Jack MacNeice and is named after Leinster and International referee Alain Rolland. The final award is the Denis Collins Perpetual Award for Progressive Referee. Presented by the great man himself, this award is for the referee who was seen to progress the most during the season, and has shown themselves to have put in time and effort into their own development. A great night is anticipated.

Want to get involved? 

Referees provide a vital function in servicing all levels of the game. Refereeing is also a fantastic hobby and is increasingly becoming a genuine alternative to playing the game.

Whether you have aspirations to referee at the highest level or to referee locally, there is a place for you. There are excellent support structures in place to develop referees and a thriving social aspect too.

Feel free to make contact with the Leinster Rugby Referees at brendan.conroy@leinsterrugby.ie  If you are interested in becoming a referee get in contact with us through our Facebook, our website www.leinsterrugbyreferees.ie,  through X @leinsterreferee or instagram @leinsterreferees1.