Legendary ref Wayne Barnes names the worst rugby players to referee

bySteven Smith

joker wasn’t always such a joy on the pitch, if you ask Barnes.

Legendary referee Wayne Barnes, who hung up his whistle after officiating a world record 111 Test matches and appearing at five Rugby World Cups, has revealed the
trickiest players he had to manage on the pitch.

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In his first interview since retiring, the Englishman—who famously showed the first ever red card in a World Cup finalto Sam Cane—spoke candidly about social media abuse, growing tensions, and the characters that tested his patience most.

Here’s Barnes’ Top 5 toughest players to ref – and let’s just say, some of them were more cheeky than nasty...

5. Joe Marler (England)

?️ BARNES SAID:

“He was always a funny one on the field in nice way. You’d be trying to tell him something serious and he’d just want to have a laugh and a joke.
But he does bring a smile to your face. That is what is unique about our sport, the interaction between players and refs and refs and coaches. It does show our sport off in a good light.”

? Fast facts:

Began his rugby journey at Eastbourne RFC before joining the Harlequins Academy in 2009.
Made over 280 appearances for Harlequins, winning Premiership titles in 2012 and 2021.
Earned 95 caps for England, participating in three Rugby World Cups.
Known for his distinctive hairstyles and candid personality, he co-hosts The Joe Marler Show podcast with Tom Fordyce.
Retired from professional rugby in November 2024, concluding a 15-year career with Harlequins.

4. Matt Dawson (England)

The 2003 World Cup-winning scrum-half and Question of Sport

?️ BARNES SAID:

“Scrum-halves are always the worst, especially Matt.”

? See what Dawson was like back in the day

? Fast facts:

Made 77 appearances for England between 1995 and 2006, scoring 101 points.
Played for Northampton Saints and London Wasps, winning the Premiership title with Wasps in 2005.
Represented the British & Irish Lions on three tours: 1997, 2001, and 2005.
Captained England during the 2000 Six Nations Championship.
Post-retirement, he became a well-known media personality and health advocate.

3. Martin Johnson (England)

A legend in every sense, Big Johnno was a mountain of a man and, apparently, a pretty terrifying one too – especially if you were a rookie ref.

?️ BARNES SAID:

“I was always petrified of Martin Johnson because he was coming to the end of his career when I started in the Premiership.2003 was my first [season] and obviously that was towards the end of his career and I remember I had to sin-bin him once and I actually apologised as I did it.
I said ‘I’m very sorry I have to do this’ because he’s such a big personality. I guess he was always someone who scared me witless!”

? Fast facts:

Captained England to their only Rugby World Cup victory in 2003.
Played 362 matches for Leicester Tigers, securing four Premiership titles and two Heineken Cups.
First player to captain the British & Irish Lions on two separate tours (1997 and 2001).
Briefly played American football for the Leicester Panthers as a teenager.
Awarded a CBE in 2004 for services to rugby.

2. Andy Goode (England)

The king of the dad bod and the one-liner, Goodey could always be relied on for a bit of banter – sometimes at the ref’s expense.

?️ BARNES SAID:

“He always made me smile as he made me look athletic when we were on the same pitch.
However, the humorous players always keep you on your toes and if they get opportunity to pick you up on a slight faux pas, they will.
I once mentioned to Andy Goode that him and his team mates were all appealing for far too many decisions and told him that it sounded like there were 15 referees on the pitch.
‘And you’re not even in the top 10’ was his reply.”

? Fast facts:

Accumulated 2,147 points in Premiership Rugby, making him the second-highest scorer in league history.
Played for several clubs, including Leicester Tigers, Saracens, Wasps, Brive, and Newcastle Falcons.
Earned 17 caps for England between 2005 and 2009.
Won five Premiership titles and two Heineken Cups during his career.
Briefly came out of retirement in 2016 to play for Newcastle Falcons.

1. Richie McCaw (New Zealand)

The GOAT? Possibly. The All Black legend and double World Cup-winning captain was a master of the dark arts – and he made Barnes sweat.

?️ BARNES SAID:

“I’ve been on the field with some of the great captains, John Smit, Sam Warburton and Richie McCaw.
Richie always had the knack of asking the right question at the right time, sometimes it felt like I was losing a little bit of control.
Contrary to popular belief, he didn’t talk a lot on the field. He knew the law book inside out and so when he asked a question, he often had a point.”

? Fast facts:

Captained New Zealand in 110 of his 148 Test matches, leading them to World Cup victories in 2011 and 2015.
Holds the record for most Test match wins as a player, with 131 victories.
Three-time World Rugby Player of the Year (2006, 2009, 2010).
Played 145 matches for the Crusaders, winning four Super Rugby titles.
Post-retirement, he became a qualified commercial helicopter pilot.