World Rugby Announces 2026 Six Nations Referees

World Rugby has announced the match officials for the 2026 Guinness Men's Six Nations, featuring 14 referees from eight nations who collectively bring 487 Test match experiences to the 15 fixtures. The tournament begins on February 5 with France hosting Ireland at the Stade de France in Paris, refereed by England's Karl Dickson, marking the first Six Nations match to start on a Thursday. It concludes on March 14 with Super Saturday clashes, including the high-stakes finale between France and England at the same venue, overseen by Australia's Nic Berry.

Among the appointments, Scotland's Hollie Davidson will make history as the first woman to referee a men's Six Nations match. The 33-year-old, recently named the 2025 World Rugby Referee of the Year, takes charge of Ireland versus Italy on February 14 at Dublin's Aviva Stadium. Davidson, who became Scotland's first full-time female referee in 2017 and has officiated two Women's World Cup finals as well as the 2025 European Challenge Cup final, expressed her excitement about the milestone. "Refereeing in the Guinness Six Nations is a massive honour and a match I'm really looking forward to," she said. "The last year has been very...