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Wayne Barnes (born 20 April 1979 in Gloucestershire, England) is an English international rugby union referee. He was educated at Whitecross School in Lydney, Monmouth School and at the University of East Anglia. He became a professional referee in April 2005, giving up a career in law to do so. Barnes is also the youngest referee ever appointed to the Panel of National Referees, having been given the position in 2001, aged just 21. He started playing rugby at age eight, and took up refereeing aged 15 with London Society of Rugby Football Union Referees . He is currently a regular referee in the Guinness Premiership, and has refereed games in the Heineken Cup and the European Challenge Cup.
In 2006, Barnes made his Test debut as a referee, taking charge of three matches in the inaugural Pacific Five Nations and the Italy versus France match in the 2006 Six Nations. Before that, he had refereed at the 2003 U19 World Cup in Paris, the 2005 Under 21 Rugby World Championship in Argentina and he was the English representative on the Sevens circuit from December 2003 to March 2005. In April 2007, it was announced that Barnes would be one of three English referees at the 2007 Rugby World Cup, the others being Chris White and Tony Spreadbury. After New Zealand was knocked out of the quarter-final Bebo profiles were created by some New Zealand fans dedicated to criticising Wayne Barnes refereeing performance. Comments there and at other internet site that included death threats and personal abuse were condemned by the International Rugby Board and then New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark.
In the 2008 Six Nations Championship, Barnes became the first English official ever to take charge of a match at Croke Park, in which Wales beat Ireland 16–12. He was also appointed to take charge of his first Heineken Cup knockout match, between Stade Toulousain and Cardiff Blues at Le Stadium on 6 April 2008. In 2010, Barnes was chosen to officiate his first Heineken Cup Final between Toulouse and Biarritz at the Stade de France, Paris on 22nd May.
References
- ^ "Wayne Barnes Joins Elite Referees". RFU.com. 2005-04-06. Retrieved 2007-04-29.
- ^ "Premiership Referees". GuinnessPremiership.com. Retrieved 2007-04-29.
- http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby-world-cup/news/article.cfm?c_id=522&objectid=10468594
- "Death threats outrage refs chief". BBC News. 8 October 2007.
- "English ref Wayne Barnes backed after NZ slur". The Telegraph. 09 Oct 2007.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - "Don't blame the ref - Clark". New Zealand Herald. Tuesday Oct 9, 2007.
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