O’Brien and Schneider to ref HSBC Sevens Series

The Americas will be represented by two referees on the 2017-18 HSBC Sevens Series. Mike O’Brien of the USA and Argentina’s Damián Schneider have been selected as part of a 15-strong group to take charge over the course of the season. O’Brien has been appointed to six of the ten stops on the circuit while Schneider will travel to seven.

Both O’Brien, 30, and Schneider, 24, were part of the senior panel during the 2016-17 HSBC Series. Neither have been included on an eight-man Commonwealth Games panel also named but both are in contention to be selected for the 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens to be played in San Francisco in July.

It’s bittersweet news for the Americas, who continue to find it difficult to place top officials on senior panels at the men’s level. Canada’s Chris Assmus and Argentine duo Federico Anselmi and Pali Deluca have been excluded both from the HSBC panel and the November calendar, with the USA’s Kurt Weaver the only Americas referee to be given a match of note next month.

 

2017-18 HSBC SEVENS SERIES SENIOR PANEL
James Doleman (NZRU), Paulo Duarte (FPR), Craig Evans (WRU), Sam Grove-White (SRU), Nori Hashimoto (JRFU), Richard Haughton (RFU), Richard Kelly (NZRU), Damon Murphy (ARU), Mike O’Brien (USAR), Rasta Rasivhenge (SARU), Matt Rodden (HKRFU), Tevita Rokovereni (FRU), Jérémy Rozier (FFR), Damián Schneider (UAR), Jordan Way (ARU)

 

Dubai
Dec 1-2, 2017

Paulo Duarte (FPR), Craig Evans (WRU), Sam Grove-White (SRU), Richard Haughton (RFU), Richard Kelly (NZRU), Damon Murphy (ARU), Mike O’Brien (USAR), Rasta Rasivhenge (SARU), Damián Schneider (UAR)

Cape Town
Dec 9-10, 2017

Paulo Duarte (FPR), Craig Evans (WRU), Sam Grove-White (SRU), Richard Haughton (RFU), Richard Kelly (NZRU), Damon Murphy (ARU), Mike O’Brien (USAR), Rasta Rasivhenge (SARU), Damián Schneider (UAR)

Sydney
Jan 26-28, 2018

James Doleman (NZRU), Craig Evans (WRU), Sam Grove-White (SRU), Richard Kelly (NZRU), Damon Murphy (ARU), Rasta Rasivhenge (SARU), Matt Rodden (HKRFU), Tevita Rokovereni (FRU), Jordan Way (ARU)

Hamilton
Feb 3-4, 2018

James Doleman (NZRU), Craig Evans (WRU), Sam Grove-White (SRU), Richard Kelly (NZRU), Damon Murphy (ARU), Rasta Rasivhenge (SARU), Matt Rodden (HKRFU), Tevita Rokovereni (FRU), Jordan Way (ARU)

Las Vegas
Mar 2-4, 2018

James Doleman (NZRU), Paulo Duarte (FPR), Craig Evans (WRU), Richard Kelly (NZRU), Damon Murphy (ARU), Mike O’Brien (USAR), Jérémy Rozier (FFR), Damián Schneider (UAR), Jordan Way (ARU)

Vancouver
Mar 10-11, 2018

James Doleman (NZRU), Paulo Duarte (FPR), Craig Evans (WRU), Richard Kelly (NZRU), Damon Murphy (ARU), Mike O’Brien (USAR), Jérémy Rozier (FFR), Damián Schneider (UAR), Jordan Way (ARU)

Hong Kong
Apr 6-8, 2018

James Doleman (NZRU), Sam Grove-White (SRU), Nori Hashimoto (JRFU), Richard Haughton (RFU), Richard Kelly (NZRU), Damon Murphy (ARU), Mike O’Brien (USAR), Matt Rodden (HKRFU), Tevita Rokovereni (FRU), Damián Schneider (UAR), Jordan Way (ARU)

Commonwealth Games
Gold Coast, Australia
Apr 11-13, 2018

Craig Evans (WRU), Sam Grove-White (SRU), Richard Haughton (RFU), Richard Kelly (NZRU), Damon Murphy (ARU), Rasta Rasivhenge (SARU), Tevita Rokovereni (FRU), Jordan Way (ARU)

Singapore
Apr 28-29, 2018

James Doleman (NZRU), Paulo Duarte (FPR), Craig Evans (WRU), Sam Grove-White (SRU), Nori Hashimoto (JRFU), Mike O’Brien (USAR), Matt Rodden (HKRFU), Tevita Rokovereni (FRU), Jérémy Rozier (FFR)

Paris
May 26-27, 2018

Paulo Duarte (FPR), Craig Evans (WRU), Sam Grove-White (SRU), Nori Hashimoto (JRFU), Richard Haughton (RFU), Rasta Rasivhenge (SARU), Matt Rodden (HKRFU), Jérémy Rozier (FFR), Damián Schneider (UAR)

London
Jun 2-3, 2018

Paulo Duarte (FPR), Craig Evans (WRU), Sam Grove-White (SRU), Nori Hashimoto (JRFU), Richard Haughton (RFU), Rasta Rasivhenge (SARU), Matt Rodden (HKRFU), Jérémy Rozier (FFR), Damián Schneider (UAR)