Category Archives: Referee

Officiating Updates – September 2025

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So You Want to Become a World Rugby Citing Commissioner: Invitation for Candidates and Course Application

The Rugby Americas North (RAN) region is putting out an invitation for candidates who wish to apply to become a World Rugby Citing Commissioner. If you’re interested there’s two tasks to follow prior to October 6th, 2025. According to the RAN website, “candidates will be subsequently notified whether their application is successful or not.” The full RAN article is posted below, along with links to the application process. One of the course instructors is BC’s Bruce Kuklinski, a well known local referee and a World Rugby Citing Commissioner Educator. As his BC Rugby Hall of Fame profile notes, he “is one of the most successful and influential Rugby Officials that British Columbia has seen”.

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BCRU logo 2024

Officiating Courses – July Update

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BCRU Offering Level 1 Officiating Courses in Victoria, Comox, Vancouver, Surrey, Abbotsford, Salmon Arms

The BCRU are running Level 1 Officiating courses in September and October in the following locations. Their media release is posted below with a highlight on local referee Kristine Lovatt who recently officiated the Brazil vs Netherlands match.  The registration page is here.

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World Rugby Officiating Selections

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Canada Only Country in Women’s Top 10 to Have Zero Representation on Women’s World Rugby 2025 Officiating Panel

You would think being #2 in the World that there would be some Canadian officiating representation at the Women’s Rugby World Cup to be held in England later this year. All the top 10 ranked countries have representation among the 22 officials selected… except Canada. England, Australia, Italy all have 3 selections, South Africa, NZ, Scotland, USA have 2. There are singles from France, Portugal, Wales, Ireland and Zimbabwe.

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WXV 2024 Match Official Appointments

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Three BC Match Officials Assigned to World Rugby WXV Tournaments, Shanda Assmus, Chris Assmus and Julianne Zussman

Three BC match officials have been named to the World Rugby appointments for the WXV tournaments. Julianne Zussman will officiate at WXV 1 in Vancouver, Chris Assmus will be TMO at WXV 2 in South Africa and  Shanda Assmus will officiate at WXV 3 in Dubai. All tournaments take place over September and October this year.

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Match Official Updates – May 2024

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Canadian Match Official Appointments This Summer for Internationals and Olympics:  Talal Chaudhry, Robin Kaluzniak, Chris Assmus, Shanda Assmus, Julianne Zussman

There were a number of Canadian match official appointments made this summer by World Rugby. Talal Chaudhry was selected for Rugby 7s at the Olympics, he’ll be working in the women’s tournament. Robin Kaluzniak will be Assistant Referee in two test matches this summer, USA vs Romania and USA vs Scotland. Chris Assmus will be the TMO at the USA vs Scotland match.

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BOOK REVIEW – Throwing The Book: The Strife and Crimes of a RUGBY Referee

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BC Referee Saro Turner Reviews Wayne Barnes Book: Throwing The Book: The Strife and Crimes of a RUGBY Referee

Wayne Barnes refereed more international tests than anyone else in the history of rugby, including at five Men’s World Cups where he held the whistle in the 2023 Final. His autobiography – Throwing the Book: The Strife and Crimes of a RUGBY Referee – is particularly relevant for understanding the psychological pressure on referees, the values and integrity of the game, and his insight into how the game ought to be played.

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Referee Updates – September 2022

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Maggie Cogger-Orr: Meet the Canadian Ref Who is Officiating the Opening Match of the Women’s Rugby World Cup in October

[ed. thanks to Aaron McDonald who brought this story to our attention.]

Sure she’s listed as NZR in the World Rugby program to denote she’s representing NZ Rugby but she’s Canadian, she travelled to NZ on a student visa in 2014 to start a new adventure and ended up staying there, well except for the trips back home to visit family at Christmas.

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Summer Internationals 2022

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Match Official Assignments for Summer Internationals: Canada With Two Representatives

[ed. Chris Assmus is TMO for USA vs French Barbarians, and Talal Chaudhry is AR for USA for Chile. There are no Canadian International matches listed yet.]

World Rugby has confirmed the match official appointments for the men’s 15s internationals to be played in June and July.

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