Behind the glitz and glamour of the Autumn Nations Series, many world-class referees must work around the clock to fund their rugby dream.
#1. Romain Poite – Police Detective
Poite is set to referee his final international match this weekend – World Rugby have confirmed this morning.
The popular Frenchman, who made his debut in 2006, will take charge of his 72nd test match, cementing his status in third on the all-time list of test match appearances behind Nigel Owens (100) and Wayne Barnes (96).
Before becoming a referee, the 45-year-old was a police detective in Toulouse. During the Autumn Nations Series, he will be tackling a different sort of law-breaker after putting down the baton for the referee’s whistle in 2007.
He’s expected to return to the police once he stops refereeing completely.
