Wayne Barnes may have hung up his whistle, but he is still heavily involved in English rugby.
The former referee retired after taking charge of the 2023 Rugby World Cup final.
South Africa beat New Zealand 12-11 in Paris as Barnes brought down the curtain on an incredible career.
It was his 111th and final Test.
Barnes also refereed at five World Cups and took charge of a record 27 matches at the tournament.
World Rugby confirmed his retirement just days after the final.
But retirement from refereeing did not mean walking away from rugby.
Wayne Barnes handed RFU role
Barnes joined the RFU Board in August 2024.
He replaced former England captain Phil de Glanville as the Senior Professional Game Board Representative.
The move also made Barnes the first professional match official to sit on the RFU Board.
He is also part of the Men's Professional Rugby Board.
That means the former referee now has a voice in major talks about the future of English rugby.
Barnes has since explained more about his RFU role and what his work involves.
It is quite a change for a man who spent more than 20 years making big calls on the pitch.
RUCK has also previously looked at Barnes' life after refereeing.
And rugby isn't his only job.
Five quirky facts about Wayne Barnes
1. He started refereeing at just 15
Barnes picked up a whistle at a very young age.
He started refereeing with the Gloucester & District Referees Society when he was only 15 years old.
It proved to be the start of a career which took him to the very top of the sport.
2. He has a very different second career
Barnes is also a lawyer.
He studied law at the University of East Anglia before starting his legal career.
Remarkably, he continued working in law while also becoming one of the world's top rugby referees.
He has continued that career since retiring from the pitch.
3. He refereed 111 Tests
Barnes finished with 111 international matches to his name.
He also appeared at five Rugby World Cups.
In total, Barnes refereed a record 27 World Cup matches.
His final game was the biggest of them all.
Barnes took charge of the 2023 final between the Springboks and All Blacks.
World Rugby hailed his record-breaking career when he retired.
4. Richie McCaw was a huge challenge
Barnes faced some of rugby's biggest characters during his career.
One of them was legendary All Blacks captain Richie McCaw.
Barnes has spoken about how difficult McCaw could be to referee.
The New Zealand great knew the laws inside out and understood exactly when to question a decision.
That made life difficult for even the very best referees.
5. He refereed 273 Premiership matches
Barnes also built up an incredible record in English club rugby.
He refereed his first Premiership match in 2003.
By the time he retired, he had taken charge of 273 Premiership games.
His career eventually ended on rugby's biggest stage 20 years later.
Barnes might no longer have a whistle in his hand, but he certainly hasn't disappeared from rugby.
