Reflecting on a time of magic and upsets at the 2023 Rugby World Cup with Luke Pearce
Rugby Referee, Luke Pearce enjoys a day at the cricket during Day 1 of the County Championship match between Somerset CCC and Northamptonshire CCC at Coopers Associate County Ground, Taunton on 4 May. Photo: Tom Sandberg/PPAUK
Luke Pearce was one of the world’s leading referees who headed to France to oversee the action at the World Cup in France.
Having refereed in the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan, Luke returned in France to take centre stage for the tournament as one of 12 world class referees.
The team at ACME Whistles caught up with Luke to reflect on the tournament and what made it so special. He said:
“It was a hell of a World Cup! It was nine weeks that we were out there in the end so we spent a long time in France.
“I especially loved the pool stages where we were travelling around to new places each week. We were kept pretty busy.
“I loved it – but it’s nice to be home.”
Reflecting on the action and his involvement in the tournament, Luke recalled the biggest moments for him at the World Cup, saying:
“There were quite a few games in the opening couple of weekends where it was 35/36 degrees and everyone was boiling, and I was involved in some brilliant games.
“If there’s one thing I’ve noticed from this World Cup, it’s whilst the Tier 1 games get the most attention this year some of the Tier 2 matches have taken people by surprise at the quality of them and there seems to be now a desire from the public to see more of it, whereas before this World Cup everybody was on about the big Tier 1 matches.
“That Portugal v Fiji game I was involved in down in Toulouse, on the final weekend of the pools, was brilliant.