Romain Poite

Romain Poite
Poite officiating in a Top 14 match in December 2013
Date of birth (1975-09-14) September 14, 1975
Rugby union career
Refereeing career
Years Competition Apps
2007–2015
2010-		 Rugby World Cup
Six Nations

Romain Poite (born September 14, 1975)[1] is a French rugby union international referee.

He made his World Cup debut as an assistant referee in 2007 during the match between Ireland and Namibia. He also officiated (as touch judge or television match official) during three games in the 2009 Six Nations Championship.[2] He refereed his first Six Nations match in 2010.[3] Poite was appointed to the 10-man elite referees panel for the 2011 Rugby World Cup,[4] where he refereed four matches. He was also appointed to referee the third and deciding Test of the 2013 British and Irish Lions tour against Australia; the Lions won and Poite was commended for rewarding the dominant scrum.[5] He was later excluded for a few months from the IRB panel for giving an incorrect yellow card during the 2013 Rugby Championship.[6] Poite famously told the England rugby team "I'm a referee, not a coach", during the 2017 Six Nations Championship match versus Italy.[7] Poite was appointed referee for the third and deciding British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand (game ended in a 15-15 draw, leaving the three match series tied 1-1).

His most infamous moment, however, came towards the end of Leinsters' annihilation of Wasps in the first round of the 18/19 Champions Cup, when he attempted to obstruct Rhys Ruddock, who absolutely creamed him. He ended up leaving the field of play requiring a HIA, and was reported to have said "I'm Batman".

Notes and references

  1. ↑ "International Rugby Board biography". Archived from the original on 2008-06-09. Retrieved 2009-05-03.
  2. ↑ "La Bible du rugby" (in French). Retrieved 2009-05-03.
  3. ↑ http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,3820_5765196,00.html
  4. ↑ "Poite to ref Heineken Cup Final". espnscrum.com. 9 May 2011. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
  5. ↑ Kay, Ben (7 July 2013). "Referee Poite points the way for Jones and Corbisiero to dominate the scrum". Retrieved 21 September 2013.
  6. ↑ "Six Nations 2014 : de la Fraîcheur et des Adieux". Esprit de la Règle.
  7. ↑ "XPLAINED: The brilliant Italian ruck tactics that baffled Eddie Jones' England and were entirely legal".
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