England vs All Blacks referee at centre of 'scandalous' decision

Rugby, for him, was initially about camaraderie and competition—until a teammate nudged him in a different direction. At just 17, encouraged by this friend who had signed up for refereeing courses, Piardi decided to give officiating a try. What began almost as an experiment soon became a second passion.

A significant injury later halted his playing days, but rather than step away from the sport, Piardi committed fully to the whistle. He steadily worked his way through Italy’s lower leagues, learning how to manage games, players, and pressure with growing confidence.

His breakthrough season came in 2016–17, when he handled his first Top10 fixture: Rovigo vs Reggio Emilia. That same year, he gained his first taste of international recognition by being appointed to the Under-18 European Championship finals.

Piardi’s ascent continued quickly. In 2019, he took charge of his first senior international Test during the Rugby Europe Championship clash between Germany and Spain in Cologne. That same month, he made his debut in the Pro14—Munster against the Southern Kings in Cork—an important step into elite club rugby.

By 2021, he was trusted with matches in the South American Championship, part of the qualification pathway for the Rugby World Cup.

A year later came one of the more unusual moments in his career: refereeing England vs the Barbarians at Twickenham in 2022, where he issued the first red card ever shown to a Barbarians player in their 130-year history. That autumn he oversaw Wales vs Georgia in Cardiff, marking his first Test match involving a Tier 1 nation.

Piardi reached a historic milestone on 25 February 2024, becoming the first Italian referee to officiate a Six Nations match, taking charge of Ireland vs Wales in Dublin.

His rise shows no sign of slowing. For the 2025 British & Irish Lions tour, Piardi has been appointed to referee both a midweek match in Adelaide and, significantly, the second Test between the Lions and Australia in Melbourne—a first for an Italian official on such a stage.

That Melbourne clash wasn’t without controversy. Hugo Keenan’s last-play try sealed a 29–26 win for the tourists, delivering the Lions’ first Test series victory since 2013.

The Television Match Official reviewed Morgan’s clearout on Carlo Tizzano at the final ruck and ultimately backed referee Andrea Piardi in his original decision to award the try.

In November 2020, Piardi was at the centre of controversy after a major refereeing incident in Ulster’s game against the Scarlets. Early on, Ulster lock Kieran Treadwell made shoulder-to-head contact with Scarlets prop Javan Sebastian, an action that initially looked certain to earn a red card.

However, after consulting Irish TMO Brian MacNeice, who argued there was “minimal force in the contact,” Piardi reduced the punishment to a yellow. Treadwell spent just 10 minutes in the sin bin, while Sebastian left for a head injury assessment.

The decision infuriated Scarlets fans, especially when Treadwell returned to score a vital try in Ulster’s narrow 26–24 win. Critics labelled the call “scandalous” and “shameful,” with Sunday Times correspondent Stephen Jones calling the hit “the reddest red card ever.” Although Piardi drew criticism, MacNeice faced the fiercest backlash, yet was still appointed TMO for the upcoming Wales–England Nations Cup match. Treadwell later received a three-week ban, offering little consolation to the Scarlets.

Referee: Andrea Piardi (Ita)
ARs: Luc Ramos (Fra) & Gianluca Gnecchi (Ita)
TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (SA)
FPRO: Mike Adamson (Sco)

Italy v South Africa – Allianz Stadium, Turin
Referee: James Doleman (NZR)
ARs: Ben O’Keeffe (NZR), Jérémy Rozier (FFR)
TMO: Tual Trainini (FFR)
FRPO: Eric Gauzins (FFR)

England v New Zealand – Allianz Stadium, Twickenham
Referee: Andrea Piardi (FIR)
ARs: Luc Ramos (FFR), Gianluca Gnecchi (FIR)
TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (SARU)
FRPO: Mike Adamson (SRU)

Georgia v Canada – Adjarabet Arena, Batumi
Referee: Paul Williams (NZR)
ARs: Federico Vedovelli (FIR), Filippo Russo (FIR)
TMO: Aled Griffiths (WRU)

Romania v USA – Stadionul National Arcul de Triumf, Bucharest
Referee: Sam Grove-White (SRU)
ARs: Saba Abulashvili (GRU), Peter Martin (IRFU)
TMO: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)

Wales v Japan – Principality Stadium, Cardiff
Referee: Matthew Carley (RFU)
ARs: Nic Berry (RA), Anthony Woodthorpe (RFU)
TMO: Andrew Jackson (RFU)
FRPO: Quinton Immelman (SARU)

Ireland v Australia – Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Referee: Karl Dickson (RFU)
ARs: Pierre Brousset (FFR), Adam Leal (RFU)
TMO: Ian Tempest (RFU)
FRPO: Dan Jones (RFU)

France v Fiji – Stade Atlantique, Bordeaux
Referee: Christophe Ridley (RFU)
ARs: Nika Amashukeli (GRU), Morné Ferreira (SARU)
TMO: Marius Jonker (SARU)
FRPO: Stuart Terheege (RFU)

Portugal v Hong Kong China – Estádio Nacional do Jamor, Lisbon
Referee: Hollie Davidson (SRU)
ARs: Ben Breakspear (WRU), Ben Connor (WRU)
TMO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)

Spain v England A – Campo José Zorrilla, Valladolid
Referee: Morgan White (HKCR)
ARs: Tomás Bertazza (UAR), FER appointment
TMO: Paulo Duarte (FPR)

Scotland v Argentina – Murrayfield, Edinburgh
Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU)
ARs: Angus Gardner (RA), Luke Pearce (RFU)
TMO: Olly Hodges (IRFU)
FRPO: Leo Colgan (IRFU)

Uruguay v All Blacks XV – Montpellier, France
Referee: FFR appointment
ARs: FFR appointments
TMO: FFR appointment

Wales v New Zealand – Principality Stadium, Cardiff
Referee: Hollie Davidson (SRU)
ARs: Andrea Piardi (FIR), Gianluca Gnecchi (FIR)
TMO: Ian Tempest (RFU)
FRPO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)

Georgia v Japan – Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, Tbilisi
Referee: Eoghan Cross (IRFU)
ARs: Anthony Woodthorpe (RFU), Peter Martin (IRFU)
TMO: Leo Colgan (IRFU)

Spain v Fiji – Estadio Ciudad de Málaga, Málaga
Referee: Damián Schneider (UAR)
ARs: Federico Vedovelli (FIR), George Selwood (RFU)
TMO: Quinton Immelman (SARU)

Ireland v South Africa – Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Referee: Matthew Carley (RFU)
ARs: Karl Dickson (RFU), Christophe Ridley (RFU)
TMO: Andrew Jackson (RFU)
FRPO: Dan Jones (RFU)

Italy v Chile – Stadio Luigi Ferraris, Genoa
Referee: Adam Leal (RFU)
ARs: Adam Jones (WRU), Ben Connor (WRU)
TMO: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)
FRPO: Stuart Terheege (RFU)

France v Australia – Stade de France, Saint-Denis
Referee: Luke Pearce (RFU)
ARs: Andrew Brace (IRFU), Craig Evans (WRU)
TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (SARU)
FRPO: Mike Adamson (SRU)

Portugal v Canada – Estádio Cidade de Coimbra, Coimbra
Referee: Morné Ferreira (SARU)
ARs: Saba Abulashvili (GRU), Filippo Russo (FIR)
TMO: Marius Jonker (SARU)

Romania v Uruguay – Stadionul National Arcul de Triumf, Bucharest
Referee: Jérémy Rozier (FFR)
ARs: Ben Breakspear (WRU), Kevin Bralley (FFR)
TMO: Aled Griffiths (WRU)

Scotland v Tonga – Murrayfield, Edinburgh
Referee: Luc Ramos (FFR)
ARs: Evan Urruzmendi (FFR), Benoît Rousselet (FFR)
TMO: Tual Trainini (FFR)
FRPO: Olly Hodges (IRFU)

England v Argentina – Allianz Stadium, Twickenham
Referee: Pierre Brousset (FFR)
ARs: Nika Amashukeli (GRU), Sam Grove-White (SRU)
TMO: Eric Gauzins (FFR)
FRPO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)

Wales v South Africa – Principality Stadium, Cardiff
Referee: Luc Ramos (FFR)
ARs: Matthew Carley (RFU), Pierre Brousset (FFR)
TMO: Eric Gauzins (FFR)
FRPO: Andrew Jackson (RFU)