Mathieu Raynal to retire from refereeing after July internationals

RETIRING: Mathieu Raynal is to retire from refereeing following the July international window. Pic:Michael Steele/Getty Images

Mathieu Raynal is to retire from refereeing following the July international window as World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont pays tribute to the Frenchman.

Raynal will take charge of his 50th test match during that international window to become the 13th World Rugby referee to reach the milestone.

The 42-year-old will be the fourth Frenchman to reach the milestone following Romain Poite, Jérôme Garcès and Pascal Gaüzère.

Born in Perpignan, Raynal has refereed in eight Guinness Men's Six Nations, five Rugby Championships and two Men's Rugby World Cups including the 2023 edition on home soil in France.

Raynals's test debut was the game between Malta and the Netherlands in 2009. He was in charge of seven matches across two Rugby World Cups including five in France 2023 with the quarter-final between England and Fiji among them.

He was assistant referee in three Rugby World Cups and has been the man in the middle in two Top 14 finals in France (2016, 2021).

Speaking on his upcoming retirement Raynal said “This sport has given me a lot and refereeing it at the highest level for all these years has been a privilege and a great honour.

“After 18 years in the professional game and almost 350 games refereed, the end of the season will be time to bring to an end an activity which I have deeply loved and which has given me unforgettable experiences on pitches all around the world.

“Even if I had the power to do so, I would not change anything in my journey to this point, including, above all, the most difficult moments. Those moments awoke me to the limitless power of courage, fortitude and resilience and they also allowed me to enjoy the good times with even greater relish and intensity.

“I thank my family and my friends, for everything. Thank you to the FFR, to the LNR, the staff at World Rugby, to the players, coaches and my refereeing brothers in arms. The trust, friendship and support which I have received from them during the course of my career are immeasurable and will remain the greatest treasure of my journey.”

Bill Beaumont added “Mathieu is a fantastic referee and should be incredibly proud of what he has achieved at the highest level of the game. We are certainly proud.

“It takes a special type of person to thrive as an international match official and he has done that superbly over the last decade. Mathieu is a great role model for aspiring referees, a great person, a credit to his nation, and will be remembered as one of the very best.

“He has played a huge role in the advancement of officiating on the world stage and cares deeply about supporting the next generation of match officials, and I am pleased that he will be putting his extensive experience to good use as he begins an exciting new chapter.”