referee

Barnes will have compatriots Karl Dickson and Matthew Carley as his assistant referees, with Tom Foley named as the Television Match Official.

Barnes, 44, who made his debut when Fiji played Samoa in Suva in 2006, will become the second Englishman to officiate a World Cup final after Ed Morrison, who was in charge when New Zealand and South Africa last met in the title decider in 1995.

Having also been the first woman to take charge of a Premiership Cup game in 2018, Cox was an assistant referee in Bath’s contest with Wasps at The Rec. 

The appointment was very well received by rugby fans – and there has been a hugely positive reaction on social media regharding these strides towards greater inclusivity in the sport. 

While some have questioned why it has taken this long for this to happen, especially as Joy Neville has been refereeing in the Guinness PRO14 for quite some time, the next step is to see a female refereeing a Premiership match.