Romain Poite

Romain Poite

Poite officiating in a Top 14 match in December 2013
Date of birth	September 14, 1975
Rugby union career
Refereeing career
Years	Competition		Apps
2007-2015 2010-	Rugby World Cup Six Nations

Romain Poite (born September 14, 1975)^[1] is a French rugby union international referee. He made his World Cup debut as an assistant referee in 2007 during the match between Ireland and Namibia. He also officiated (as touch judge or television match official) during three games in the 2009 Six Nations Championship.^[2] He refereed his first Six Nations match in 2010.^[3] Poite was appointed to the 10-man elite referees panel for the 2011 Rugby World Cup,^[4] where he refereed four matches. He was also appointed to referee the third and deciding Test of the 2013 British and Irish Lions tour against Australia; the Lions won and Poite was commended for rewarding the dominant scrum.^[5]

During the 4th round of the Rugby championship, Poite incorrectly yellow-carded South African hooker, Bismarck du Plessis for what he deemed was an illegal tackle on Dan Carter.^[6] The International Rugby Board later rescinded the card for the tackle^[7][8] and excluded him for a few months from the IRB panel.^[9]

Notes and references

1. "International Rugby Board biography". Retrieved 2009-05-03.
2. "La Bible du rugby" (in French). Retrieved 2009-05-03.
3. http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,3820_5765196,00.html
4. "Poite to ref Heineken Cup Final". espnscrum.com. 9 May 2011. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
5. Kay, Ben (7 July 2013). "Referee Poite points the way for Jones and Corbisiero to dominate the scrum". Retrieved 21 September 2013.
6. "Rugby Championship: Referee Romain Poite admits to yellow card error - ESPN Scrum". Retrieved 2013-09-17.
7. "Planet Rugby - Rugby Union Tournaments - Tri Nations - Poite got first yellow card wrong: IRB". Retrieved 2013-09-17.
8. "South African Rugby: Red card struck from Bismarck Du Plessis' record - ESPN Scrum". Retrieved 2013-09-17.
9. "Six Nations 2014 : de la Fraîcheur et des Adieux". Esprit de la Règle.