Referees Corner – Issue 9 – 2024/25 – Harlequins

Welcome to another edition of Referees Corner. Today’s match officials for this fantastic game in Croker Park are Pierre Brousset (Fra) avec Kevin Bralley (Fra) et Thomas Charabas (Fra). The TMO is Tual Trainini (Fra). Pierre was the man in the middle when we took on Leicester in the CHampions Cup in 2024.

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. 

The dust has settled on the 2025 Schools Cup Finals and we had two great refereeing performances for the Boys finals this year with Robbie Jenkinson refereeing the Senior Final and Ross Shaughnessy refereeing the Junior Final. 

Robbie refereed his first game in 2014 while rehabbing a hand injury from playing for Skerries RFC. His Dad was a Leinster Rugby Referee and encouraged him to pick it up. Robbie continued playing until 2019 when he decided to go with the refereeing which has been one of the best decisions he’s ever made, although he still misses paying for his club. 

Robbie has refereeed at all divisions in the AIL, and has been an assistant referee in the URC, EPCR & Rugby Europe and has also refereed across the world in some incredible places in 7s. He has recently been selected to referee in the upcoming u18s 6 Nations in Parma which will be a massively proud moment for his family.  Robbie was assisted by last year’s final referee, Sam Holt and Cillian Hogan, No 4 – James Fegan, No 5 – Hayley Whyte , No 6 – Wayne ‘Mush’ Sheridan , TMO – Andrew Cole  and Time Official – Barry O’Keeffe 

Ross was educated at Coláiste Iognáid in Galway, where he won two schools senior cup medals. He played youth and senior rugby with Galwegians RFC before moving to Dublin for work.

Ross continued playing rugby for a few seasons in Dublin before deciding to hang up his playing boots. He didn’t stay away from the pitch for very long as he decided to pick up the whistle shortly after finishing his playing days.Ross joined the LRR at the beginning of the 2020/2021 season but had to wait until the following season to referee his first match due to covid restrictions.

Ross was selected for the IRFU National Panel for the 2024/2025 season, having refereed in Leinster and other provinces through the IPAS selection system the previous season. He is refereeing his first schools cup final today, having refereed the U20 Purcell Cup Final in the 2022/2023 season and the Metro Cup Final in the 2023/2024 season.

Ross was assisted by AR1 – Euan O’Riordan and AR2 – Eze Roldan, No 4 – Simon ‘Nigel’ Owens and No 5 – Oliver Clarke 

The Girls SCT final team was Katie Byrne, Maxime du Pradel, Simon Tyner and Dominick Smyth and the Girls JCT team was Ronan Harris, Killian Byrne, Laois Traynor and Dominick Smyth.

We had our last area meetings of the season over the last couple of weeks. They were all well attended. As we approach the business end of the season, our presenters brought us through a number of different game and touch judging scenarios to look out for. A lot of great round table discussions occurred and everyone went home with some new tools in their pocket for stronger game management. Thanks to our presenter Sean Gallagher for his great presentation.

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 hayley.whyte@leinsterrugby.ie  If you are interested in becoming a referee get in contact with us through our Facebook, our website www.leinsterrugbyreferees.ie or through X @leinsterreferee.