France vs Ireland referee forced ITV to intervene as millions left confused

Thursday, 05 February 2026 at 13:55

bySteven Smith

As the 2026 Six Nations kicks off tonight at the Stade de France in Paris, we take a closer look at the France vs Ireland referee.

Playing career

Dickson played scrum-half during his professional career, making over 100 appearances for Bedford Blues before going on to rack up 169 games for Harlequins.

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While at Quins, the club’s director of rugby described him as “among the best five scrum-halves in the country”.

Those performances earned Dickson a call-up to the England squad during the 2012 Six Nations, as well as selection for that summer’s tour of South Africa.

Despite those honours, he was never officially capped. However, he did feature off the bench against the South Africa Northern Barbarians, replacing his younger brother Lee — who went on to win 18 England caps and make more than 250 appearances for Northampton Saints.

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Refereeing rise

Dickson retired from playing in 2017 and joined the RFU’s match officials programme, having already begun his refereeing qualifications three years earlier.

Starting out in school rugby, he progressed rapidly through the system, officiating Premiership matches before making his international refereeing debut just one year after retirement in a Test between Georgia and Samoa.

His first Tier One appointment came in 2020 in a friendly between France and Wales.

Dickson was later named among the referees for the 2023 Rugby World Cup and served as an assistant referee in the final alongside Wayne Barnes.

ITV forced to clarify error

Dickson also officiated as an assistant referee during the tournament opener between hosts France and New Zealand — a match that ended in confusion.

After Melvyn Jaminet crossed late on, it appeared France had sealed a 27–13 victory. However, uncertainty followed when Dickson raised his flag to signal the conversion was successful, while the opposite touch judge did not.

Following the final whistle, ITV and World Rugby were forced to clarify the scoreline, confirming the conversion had actually gone wide.

Presenter Mark Pougatch told viewers:

“For the accuracy of your World Cup wall chart, actually the final score was 27–13. There was a debate about whether the final conversion went over. One touch judge put his flag up, one didn’t. It has now been confirmed it didn’t go over.”

Guinness Men’s Six Nations 2026 Match Officials Confirmed

This guide provides the full Men’s Six Nations 2026 fixtures, including venues, dates, and the complete list of match officials for each game.

Round 1 Fixtures – Six Nations 2026

France vs Ireland
Stade de France, Paris – Thursday, 5 February 2026

Referee: –
Assistant Referee 1: Karl Dickson (RFU)
Assistant Referee 2: Angus Gardner (RA)
TMO: Jordan Way (RA)
FPRO: Richard Kelly (NZR)

Italy vs Scotland
Stadio Olimpico, Rome – Saturday, 7 February 2026

Referee: Ben O'Keeffe (NZR)
Assistant Referee 1: James Doleman (NZR)
Assistant Referee 2: Katsuki Furuse (JRFU)
TMO: Richard Kelly (NZR)
FPRO: Marius van der Westhuizen (SARU)

England vs Wales
Allianz Stadium, Twickenham – Saturday, 7 February 2026

Referee: Pierre Brousset (FFR)
Assistant Referee 1: Nic Berry (RA)
Assistant Referee 2: Morné Ferreira (SARU)
TMO: Tual Trainini (FFR)
FPRO: Brett Cronan (RA)

Round 2 Fixtures – Six Nations 2026

Ireland vs Italy
Aviva Stadium, Dublin – Saturday, 14 February 2026

Referee: Hollie Davidson (SRU)
Assistant Referee 1: Matthew Carley (RFU)
Assistant Referee 2: Luc Ramos (FFR)
TMO: Ian Tempest (RFU)
FPRO: Tual Trainini (FFR)

Scotland vs England
Scottish Gas Murrayfield, Edinburgh – Saturday, 14 February 2026

Referee: Nika Amashukeli (GRU)
Assistant Referee 1: Andrea Piardi (FIR)
Assistant Referee 2: Gianluca Gnecchi (FIR)
TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (SARU)
FPRO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)

Wales vs France
Principality Stadium, Cardiff – Sunday, 15 February 2026

Referee: James Doleman (NZR)
Assistant Referee 1: Christophe Ridley (RFU)
Assistant Referee 2: Sam Grove-White (SRU)
TMO: Richard Kelly (NZR)
FPRO: Mike Adamson (SRU)

Round 3 Fixtures – Six Nations 2026

England vs Ireland
Allianz Stadium, Twickenham – Saturday, 21 February 2026

Referee: Andrea Piardi (FIR)
Assistant Referee 1: Pierre Brousset (FFR)
Assistant Referee 2: Gianluca Gnecchi (FIR)
TMO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)
FPRO: Mike Adamson (SRU)

Wales vs Scotland
Principality Stadium, Cardiff – Saturday, 21 February 2026

Referee: Matthew Carley (RFU)
Assistant Referee 1: Karl Dickson (RFU)
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Leal (RFU)
TMO: Ian Tempest (RFU)
FPRO: Eric Gauzins (FFR)

France vs Italy
Stade Pierre Mauroy, Lille – Sunday, 22 February 2026

Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU)
Assistant Referee 1: Luke Pearce (RFU)
Assistant Referee 2: Eoghan Cross (IRFU)
TMO: Olly Hodges (IRFU)
FPRO: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)

Round 4 Fixtures – Six Nations 2026

Ireland vs Wales
Aviva Stadium, Dublin – Friday, 6 March 2026

Referee: Karl Dickson (RFU)
Assistant Referee 1: Nika Amashukeli (GRU)
Assistant Referee 2: Damian Schneider (UAR)
TMO: Andrew Jackson (RFU)
FPRO: Tual Trainini (FFR)

Scotland vs France
Scottish Gas Murrayfield, Edinburgh – Saturday, 7 March 2026

Referee: Angus Gardner (RA)
Assistant Referee 1: Andrew Brace (IRFU)
Assistant Referee 2: Craig Evans (WRU)
TMO: Brett Cronan (RA)
FPRO: Olly Hodges (IRFU)

Italy vs England
Stadio Olimpico, Rome – Saturday, 7 March 2026

Referee: Luc Ramos (FFR)
Assistant Referee 1: Nic Berry (RA)
Assistant Referee 2: Pierre Brousset (FFR)
TMO: Eric Gauzins (FFR)
FPRO: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)

Round 5 Fixtures – Six Nations 2026

Ireland vs Scotland
Aviva Stadium, Dublin – Saturday, 14 March 2026

Referee: Luke Pearce (RFU)
Assistant Referee 1: Angus Gardner (RA)
Assistant Referee 2: Damian Schneider (UAR)
TMO: Andrew Jackson (RFU)
FPRO: Ian Tempest (RFU)

Wales vs Italy
Principality Stadium, Cardiff – Saturday, 14 March 2026

Referee: Christophe Ridley (FFR)
Assistant Referee 1: Matthew Carley (RFU)
Assistant Referee 2: Eoghan Cross (IRFU)
TMO: Mike Adamson (SRU)
FPRO: Eric Gauzins (FFR)

France vs England
Stade de France, Paris – Saturday, 14 March 2026

Referee: Nic Berry (RA)
Assistant Referee 1: Nika Amashukeli (GRU)
Assistant Referee 2: Hollie Davidson (SRU)
TMO: Brett Cronan (RA)
FPRO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)

Quiz: Name these 10 retro rugby players

From jaw-dropping tries to unforgettable moments (and yes, some questionable haircuts), these players defined a golden era of the game. If their names don’t instantly come to mind, we suggest a quick trip to YouTube to jog your memory. Trust us, it’s worth it.

Ready to test your knowledge? Let’s see if you’ve still got it. Good luck!

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