England vs Wales referee pulled from Six Nations game last minute

Saturday, 07 February 2026 at 10:29

byRugby Rucker

We take a look at the England vs Wales referee as the match officials for the 2026 Six Nations have been officially confirmed.

Watch the Guinness Six Nations at your local Greene King sports pub.

French referee Pierre Brousset is becoming an increasingly familiar face during the Six Nations – but his long-awaited breakthrough at the championship almost fell apart before it even began.

A former lower-league scrum-half, Brousset gave up playing at the age of 19 to fully commit to refereeing. His rise through the ranks was rapid. By 2018 he was a full-time official and became the youngest referee to take charge of a match in France’s Top 14.

Since then, his CV has continued to grow. He has refereed fixtures in the Rugby Championship, the Autumn Nations Series and at international Under-20s level. But one ambition sat above all others – officiating a Six Nations Test.

That dream was first set to be realised in 2024, when Brousset was appointed to referee Ireland v Italy in Dublin. However, cruel timing struck, with a late injury forcing him to withdraw from the match just days before kick-off, and England’s Luke Pearce stepping in as a replacement.

The setback proved only temporary. Brousset finally made his Six Nations debut in 2025, taking charge of England v Scotland at Twickenham, a major milestone in his officiating career.

Now, in 2026, the Frenchman is firmly established at the top level and takes charge as England vs Wales referee today, further underlining his growing status as a trusted official in one of rugby’s biggest tournaments.

⭐ Save us to your Google Favourites for nonstop RUCK content!

Reflecting previously on his journey into refereeing, Brousset said:

“I was a player until I was 20. I took the referee’s exam almost by chance when I was 17 because I thought it would be interesting to really understand the laws.

“Two years later I had to make a choice if I wanted to reach the highest level. I was playing in Fédérale 3 with Sporting-Club de Rieumes, sometimes in the first team, and I understood where I was going to peak as a player.

“So I said to myself that if I wanted to aspire to the top level, refereeing was the way forward. My first goal was to reach Fédérale 1 within five years. Since then, it’s just been one objective after another.”

Join RUCK’s Instagram broadcast channel and get the latest rugby news straight to your phone.

Guinness Men’s Six Nations 2026 Match Officials Confirmed

This guide provides the full Men’s Six Nations 2026 fixtures, including venues, dates, and the complete list of match officials for each game.

Round 1 Fixtures – Six Nations 2026

France vs Ireland
Stade de France, Paris – Thursday, 5 February 2026

Referee: –
Assistant Referee 1: Karl Dickson (RFU)
Assistant Referee 2: Angus Gardner (RA)
TMO: Jordan Way (RA)
FPRO: Richard Kelly (NZR)

Italy vs Scotland
Stadio Olimpico, Rome – Saturday, 7 February 2026

Referee: Ben O'Keeffe (NZR)
Assistant Referee 1: James Doleman (NZR)
Assistant Referee 2: Katsuki Furuse (JRFU)
TMO: Richard Kelly (NZR)
FPRO: Marius van der Westhuizen (SARU)

England vs Wales referee
Allianz Stadium, Twickenham – Saturday, 7 February 2026

Referee: Pierre Brousset (FFR)
Assistant Referee 1: Nic Berry (RA)
Assistant Referee 2: Morné Ferreira (SARU)
TMO: Tual Trainini (FFR)
FPRO: Brett Cronan (RA)

Round 2 Fixtures – Six Nations 2026

Ireland vs Italy
Aviva Stadium, Dublin – Saturday, 14 February 2026

Referee: Hollie Davidson (SRU)
Assistant Referee 1: Matthew Carley (RFU)
Assistant Referee 2: Luc Ramos (FFR)
TMO: Ian Tempest (RFU)
FPRO: Tual Trainini (FFR)

Scotland vs England
Scottish Gas Murrayfield, Edinburgh – Saturday, 14 February 2026

Referee: Nika Amashukeli (GRU)
Assistant Referee 1: Andrea Piardi (FIR)
Assistant Referee 2: Gianluca Gnecchi (FIR)
TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (SARU)
FPRO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)

Wales vs France
Principality Stadium, Cardiff – Sunday, 15 February 2026

Referee: James Doleman (NZR)
Assistant Referee 1: Christophe Ridley (RFU)
Assistant Referee 2: Sam Grove-White (SRU)
TMO: Richard Kelly (NZR)
FPRO: Mike Adamson (SRU)

Round 3 Fixtures – Six Nations 2026

England vs Ireland
Allianz Stadium, Twickenham – Saturday, 21 February 2026

Referee: Andrea Piardi (FIR)
Assistant Referee 1: Pierre Brousset (FFR)
Assistant Referee 2: Gianluca Gnecchi (FIR)
TMO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)
FPRO: Mike Adamson (SRU)

Wales vs Scotland
Principality Stadium, Cardiff – Saturday, 21 February 2026

Referee: Matthew Carley (RFU)
Assistant Referee 1: Karl Dickson (RFU)
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Leal (RFU)
TMO: Ian Tempest (RFU)
FPRO: Eric Gauzins (FFR)

France vs Italy
Stade Pierre Mauroy, Lille – Sunday, 22 February 2026

Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU)
Assistant Referee 1: Luke Pearce (RFU)
Assistant Referee 2: Eoghan Cross (IRFU)
TMO: Olly Hodges (IRFU)
FPRO: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)

Round 4 Fixtures – Six Nations 2026

Ireland vs Wales
Aviva Stadium, Dublin – Friday, 6 March 2026

Referee: Karl Dickson (RFU)
Assistant Referee 1: Nika Amashukeli (GRU)
Assistant Referee 2: Damian Schneider (UAR)
TMO: Andrew Jackson (RFU)
FPRO: Tual Trainini (FFR)

Scotland vs France
Scottish Gas Murrayfield, Edinburgh – Saturday, 7 March 2026

Referee: Angus Gardner (RA)
Assistant Referee 1: Andrew Brace (IRFU)
Assistant Referee 2: Craig Evans (WRU)
TMO: Brett Cronan (RA)
FPRO: Olly Hodges (IRFU)

Italy vs England
Stadio Olimpico, Rome – Saturday, 7 March 2026

Referee: Luc Ramos (FFR)
Assistant Referee 1: Nic Berry (RA)
Assistant Referee 2: Pierre Brousset (FFR)
TMO: Eric Gauzins (FFR)
FPRO: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)

Round 5 Fixtures – Six Nations 2026

Ireland vs Scotland
Aviva Stadium, Dublin – Saturday, 14 March 2026

Referee: Luke Pearce (RFU)
Assistant Referee 1: Angus Gardner (RA)
Assistant Referee 2: Damian Schneider (UAR)
TMO: Andrew Jackson (RFU)
FPRO: Ian Tempest (RFU)

Wales vs Italy
Principality Stadium, Cardiff – Saturday, 14 March 2026

Referee: Christophe Ridley (FFR)
Assistant Referee 1: Matthew Carley (RFU)
Assistant Referee 2: Eoghan Cross (IRFU)
TMO: Mike Adamson (SRU)
FPRO: Eric Gauzins (FFR)

France vs England
Stade de France, Paris – Saturday, 14 March 2026

Referee: Nic Berry (RA)
Assistant Referee 1: Nika Amashukeli (GRU)
Assistant Referee 2: Hollie Davidson (SRU)
TMO: Brett Cronan (RA)
FPRO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)

Quiz: Name these 10 retro rugby players

From jaw-dropping tries to unforgettable moments (and yes, some questionable haircuts), these players defined a golden era of the game. If their names don’t instantly come to mind, we suggest a quick trip to YouTube to jog your memory. Trust us, it’s worth it.

Ready to test your knowledge? Let’s see if you’ve still got it. Good luck!