Get to know the ref: Aurélie Groizeleau

The experts at ACME Whistles were able to grab an exclusive interview with Aurélie to get to know the referee behind the whistle.

Name: Aurélie Groizeleau   

Age: 36

Height: 1m 68cm or 5ft 5”

What do you do to keep fit? I have a personal strength and condition coach who only works with professional athletes in a variety of disciplines. I do cycling, running and some weight training. And I see my physio once per week to prevent injury. And I also get plenty of rest too as that’s important.

Where do you live? 20km from La Rochelle near the Atlantic Ocean

What’s your first memory of rugby? When I was a child and won my first tournament with my friend. I was 8 years old and got my first cup.

How many years have you refereed? 15 years

Can you remember your first game as a referee? Yes – it was horrible. Because when you start to referee, you are bad. It was an under 16 men’s game. It was very difficult because we don't know where to run or all the laws, you don't know how to whistle - you don't know anything. So it was a horrible moment and the players were also not very nice about it.

Can you remember your first International game? Yes, in Italy and it was Italy v South Africa, November 2018. It was a special moment in my career and the atmosphere was wild. I wore a white jersey, but after the game it was brown! 

What’s your favourite stadium? In France it is Stade de la Rabine in Vannes, Brittany. It’s a small stadium with a really great atmosphere. We have a lot of international under 20 or women’s games in this stadium. So it's a very good stadium – one of the best in the world I think. 

In the world, I like Twickenham. Last year I refereed England v Ireland in front of 44,000 people and it was my first time with such a big crowd and it was a very good atmosphere.

What’s your whistle of choice? ACME Thunderer 558 

Who inspired you to take up the whistle? My parents play rugby and my partner is a referee. My mum is a coach in a rugby club for under 8s. My nephew plays – basically there are a lot of people in my family who play rugby and it’s a huge part of our lives. 

If you had to pick one area the game that’s the hardest to referee what would that be? The ruck because we have around 200 rucks in the game and it’s possible to have many different infringements every time and we need to make quick decisions and know when to whistle or not. 

What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever seen on a rugby pitch? Once, when I arrived in the stadium, there were no posts on the pitch. The game was in one hour and they said “don’t worry – we’ll put them up 15mins before kick-off” so yeah – that was crazy. That was at a local rugby club, not a professional game!

What’s been the biggest moment in your career so far? Being an AR for Hollie Davidson at the last Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2021. It was the final and there was a crowd of 42,000 people. The atmosphere was immense and incredibly exciting. Hollie’s the best and is a real inspiration to me too. She’s showcasing what is possible for female referees within the men’s competitions. For more information on refereeing and to get yourself started, visit www.acmewhistles.co.uk