Nigel Owens Slams Decision in Ellis Genge Incident, Claims Official Got It Wrong
Rugby NewsThursday, 12 February 2026 at 13:13
Nigel Owens has weighed in on the Ellis Genge flashpoint, insisting that while he does not want to see such incidents in the game, the England loosehead’s actions did not warrant a red card.
Genge avoided further punishment after the match and has since been named in England’s starting XV for their round two clash with Scotland at Murrayfield, with the citing commissioner opting against any post-match sanction.
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Owens was clear in his assessment, disagreeing with suggestions that the incident amounted to a headbutt.
“Do we have a headbutt? No, we don’t,” Owens continued.
“Because what you have is two players squaring up and Ellis Genge sort of pushes his head forward. So you don’t have that headbutt.
“He pushes his head forward. So for me that’s that’s not a headbutt. So for me this is not a this is not a red card.”
While Owens stressed that such behaviour has no place in the sport, he believes the referee had other options available on the field.
“So the referee has an option for how to deal with it. You will either deal with both players and tell them, ‘Hey boys, that’s not the way you behave on the field and get on with it’. But then, the only one who’s instigated the contact is Ellis Genge, it would be unfair then to sort of share that blame even though he may have sort of done something to provoke it. We don’t know.
Owens suggested that if the referee deemed the act illegal, a lesser sanction would have sufficed.
“You then identify you’re not supposed to do that, and it’s a penalty. And I would say if you’re identifying that that putting a head into somebody’s face is an act of our play, then personally I probably would have followed it up with a yellow card, and that’s the general consensus, not a red card. It’s not a headbutt.
“A yellow card would have been sufficient punishment for it because we don’t want to see it.”
With no retrospective action taken and Genge cleared to face Scotland, the debate over the incident may continue, but from Owens’ perspective the decision should never have reached red-card territory.
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Rugby World Cup 2027 Full Draw: England and Wales meet again
The expanded 24-team tournament will be played across Australia from 1 October 2027, with six pools of four teams and a new round-of-16 knockout phase. With fixtures and venues now confirmed by World Rugby, attention quickly turns to how each group will unfold.
Pool A — New Zealand, Australia (H), Chile, Hong Kong China
Group summary
Pool A features tournament hosts Australia and three-time champions New Zealand, making it one of the headline groups of the opening phase. Chile and Hong Kong China will be targeting historic results, while the trans-Tasman clash between Australia and New Zealand is expected to be one of the most watched pool matches of the tournament.
Fixtures
- 1 October 2027 — Australia vs Hong Kong China
Perth Stadium, Perth - 2 October 2027 — New Zealand vs Chile
Perth Stadium, Perth - 9 October 2027 — New Zealand vs Australia
Stadium Australia, Sydney - 9 October 2027 — Chile vs Hong Kong China
North Queensland Stadium, Townsville - 15 October 2027 — New Zealand vs Hong Kong China
Docklands Stadium, Melbourne - 16 October 2027 — Australia vs Chile
Brisbane Stadium, Brisbane
Pool B — South Africa, Italy, Georgia, Romania
Group summary
Defending champions South Africa headline Pool B and begin their campaign against Italy. Georgia continue to establish themselves as a consistent World Cup presence, while Romania return aiming to challenge for third place and possible qualification via rankings.
Fixtures
- 3 October 2027 — South Africa vs Italy
Adelaide Oval, Adelaide - 3 October 2027 — Georgia vs Romania
North Queensland Stadium, Townsville - 10 October 2027 — South Africa vs Georgia
Brisbane Stadium, Brisbane - 11 October 2027 — Italy vs Romania
Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney - 17 October 2027 — Italy vs Georgia
Newcastle Stadium, Newcastle - 17 October 2027 — South Africa vs Romania
Perth Stadium, Perth
Pool C — Argentina, Fiji, Spain, Canada
Group summary
Pool C blends South American consistency with Pacific flair. Argentina enter as favourites, while Fiji’s attacking threat makes them dangerous opponents for any side. Spain return to the World Cup looking to make an impact, and Canada continue their rebuilding process.
Fixtures
- 3 October 2027 — Argentina vs Canada
Brisbane Stadium, Brisbane - 4 October 2027 — Fiji vs Spain
Newcastle Stadium, Newcastle - 10 October 2027 — Fiji vs Canada
Adelaide Oval, Adelaide - 10 October 2027 — Argentina vs Spain
Docklands Stadium, Melbourne - 16 October 2027 — Argentina vs Fiji
Adelaide Oval, Adelaide - 17 October 2027 — Spain vs Canada
North Queensland Stadium, Townsville
Pool D — Ireland, Scotland, Uruguay, Portugal
Group summary
Ireland and Scotland lead Pool D in what shapes as a tightly contested group. Uruguay and Portugal bring speed and tactical variety, with qualification likely to be decided by fine margins, discipline, and bonus points.
Fixtures
- 3 October 2027 — Scotland vs Uruguay
Docklands Stadium, Melbourne - 4 October 2027 — Ireland vs Portugal
Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney - 10 October 2027 — Ireland vs Scotland
Perth Stadium, Perth - 11 October 2027 — Uruguay vs Portugal
Newcastle Stadium, Newcastle - 17 October 2027 — Ireland vs Uruguay
Docklands Stadium, Melbourne - 17 October 2027 — Scotland vs Portugal
Brisbane Stadium, Brisbane
Pool E — France, Japan, United States, Samoa
Group summary
France headline Pool E after reaching the previous final, with Japan expected to challenge strongly for second place. Samoa and the United States provide physicality and athleticism, making this one of the more unpredictable groups.
Fixtures
- 2 October 2027 — France vs United States
Docklands Stadium, Melbourne - 3 October 2027 — Japan vs Samoa
Newcastle Stadium, Newcastle - 9 October 2027 — United States vs Samoa
Perth Stadium, Perth - 9 October 2027 — France vs Japan
Brisbane Stadium, Brisbane - 15 October 2027 — Japan vs United States
Adelaide Oval, Adelaide - 17 October 2027 — France vs Samoa
Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney
Pool F — England, Wales, Tonga, Zimbabwe
Group summary
Pool F is defined by the renewed rivalry between England and Wales, who will meet in one of the final pool fixtures in Sydney. Tonga’s physical style and Zimbabwe’s return to the World Cup add further intrigue, with third place potentially enough to reach the knockout stage depending on rankings.
Fixtures
16 October 2027 — England vs Wales
Stadium Australia, Sydney
Stadium Australia, Sydney
2 October 2027 — Wales vs Zimbabwe
Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
2 October 2027 — England vs Tonga
Brisbane Stadium, Brisbane
Brisbane Stadium, Brisbane
8 October 2027 — Wales vs Tonga
Docklands Stadium, Melbourne
Docklands Stadium, Melbourne
8 October 2027 — England vs Zimbabwe
Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
15 October 2027 — Tonga vs Zimbabwe
North Queensland Stadium, Townsville
North Queensland Stadium, Townsville
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