Telegraph Sport runs the rule over all referees to take part in officiating in the Autumn Internationals
The Autumn Internationals are upon us and, in anticipation of a month of scintillating rugby, Telegraph Sport has compiled the definitive guide to this November’s referees – using data from Opta.
It is important to note, however, that the stats mentioned for each official are just a guide, not gospel. Refereeing decisions are affected by many external factors, such as the teams and the conditions of the match. It is not as simple as saying Referee X gave more scrum penalties than Referee Y last season and, therefore, Referee X rewards efficient scrummaging more than Referee Y. For instance, the referee who delivered the most yellow cards might simply have been unfortunate that he was appointed most regularly to matches in which sin-bin-worthy offences took place.
It is worth noting, too, that the northern hemisphere referees officiated in more matches than their southern hemisphere counterparts in the respective domestic leagues last season.
With all that in mind, allow Telegraph Sport to walk you through the squad of officials that viewers will see on their screens this autumn.