World Rugby have confirmed in a statement that the referee for England's clash with New Zealand has been changed.
A statement read: “World Rugby has confirmed changes to the match official appointments for England vs New Zealand and Romania vs Samoa on November 19 and France vs Japan on November 29.
"Mathieu Raynal (France) will now referee the England vs New Zealand match at Twickenham in the Autumn Nations Series on November 19.
" Raynal replaces Nic Berry (Australia), who has returned home for personal reasons.
“Two further amendments come as a result of this change. Christophe Ridley (England) will replace Raynal as referee for the Romania vs Samoa match in Bucharest on November 19, while Chris Busby (Ireland) replaces Ridley as assistant referee for the France vs Japan match in Toulouse in the Autumn Nations Series on November 20.
“There has also been a change of referee for the Bristol Bears vs South Africa A match in Bristol on November 17. Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy) will now take charge of the match instead of
Adam Jones (Wales).”
Mathieu Raynal facts:
- Raynal was born in 1981 in Perpignan, Southern France. Part of a successful Junior Perpignan team, they went on to win the French Junior Championships in 1998
- That was the extent of Raynal’s playing career before choosing to take up the whistle.
- The referee’s first Test match came during the 2008-10 European Nations Cup Second Division fixture between Malta and Netherlands
- During a Top 14 match between Montpellier and Racing, Mathieu fractured both his tibia and fibula as he was caught between two players
Referee, Mathieu Raynal during the Heineken Champions Cup Round 4 match between Gloucester Rugby and Exeter Chiefs at Kingsholm Stadium, Gloucester, Gloucestershire on December 14. - PHOTO: Tom Sandberg/PPAUK
Rugby’s richest players, including Mike Tindall’s eye-watering net worth:
Rugby has never been the highest paying sport, but a number of players have still gone on to make millions!
Net worths of the richest Rugby Players have been calculated and taken from
https://www.celebritynetworth.com/THE FIVE RICHEST RUGBY PLAYERS
5. Sonny Bill Williams (New Zealand) - £11.6m
Despite his early exit from Toronto, the two-time Rugby World Cup winner still finds himself on the list. Starring in multiple sports; rugby league, rugby union and boxing, Williams has been in demand and has made good money down the years from numerous huge contracts.
Sonny Bill Facts:
- His actual full name is Sonny William Williams
- Williams's younger sister, Niall, is a New Zealand former international touch football captain and current New Zealand rugby sevens player
- He was only the second person to represent New Zealand in rugby union after first playing for the country in rugby league
- Williams is one of only 21 players to have won the Rugby World Cup twice
- He onverted to Islam in 2009, while in France playing for Toulon
4. Mike Tindall (England) - £15.7m
Married into the money. His wife, Zara Anne Elizabeth Phillips, is the second-eldest grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
3) Jonny Wilkinson (England) - £16m
England's 2003 World Cup hero Wilkinson has a net worth of £16 million as of May 2014, according to the Sunday Times UK Rich List. He was utterly dedicated to his sport and remains a clean-living individual who has never attracted bad press.
2) Sir Bill Gammell (Scotland) - £38.7m
Gammell is a businessman and former Scottish International rugby player. A tall winger, he earned five caps, before following his father into business.
He has over 35 years’ experience in the international oil and gas industry and was awarded a knighthood in 2006 for services to industry in Scotland. Sir Bill, who is an ex-Scotland rugby internationalist (1977-1980) is Chairman of the Winning Scotland Foundation and Chairman of Genius Gluten Free. He was also an Independent Director of Glasgow 2014 Limited and a member of the British Olympic Advisory Board.
In 2006 he founded Winning Scotland Foundation to mobilise efforts to raise aspirations and self-belief amongst young people in Scotland. The Foundation's vision is ‘to help all young people in Scotland achieve their personal best’ and over £7 million has been invested to date.
1)Simon McDowell (Ireland) - £41.8 M
Retired Irish rugby player, Simon McDowell and family has a net worth of $54 million as of May 2012, according to the Sunday Times Rich List. A keen rugby player until injury forced him to hang up his boots in 1990, McDowell, 43, played for North Ireland Football Club from 1987 until 1990 before turning to refereeing, making his debut in 2002. McDowell was a referee at the 2007 and 2011 World Cups.
He spends 1,000 hours a year keeping fit for his on-field duties and also runs Kilwaughter Chemical Company. It started in 1939 as a quarry and mineral processor. In 1989 the company moved into mixing rendering products for concrete. The Co Antrim-based operation is owned by the McDowell family and made £4.1m profit on £18.1m sales.