Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
Three North American match officials have been appointed to the Women’s Six Nations panel, including two as referees. The USA’s Kat Roche has been awarded two games in the middle with one going to Canada’s Julianne Zussman. Canada will also be represented by Chris Assmus, who has been appointed as TMO in two matches.
Roche has enjoyed a rapid rise in the high performance ranks since becoming the first women to referee a Major League Rugby match last July. She earned her first international appointment in November between Canada and the USA, and recently took charge of the Kazakhstan vs Colombia World Cup Qualifier. The Texas resident will take charge of Ireland vs Wales in Dublin on March 26 and Italy vs England in Parma on April 3.
Zussman is now an experienced member of the World Rugby panel and was most recently in the middle of the England vs USA test in Worcester this past November. She was also in the middle for the Ireland vs Wales u20s match in Cork on February 4. The former Canadian international has been appointed to referee England vs Wales in Gloucester on April 9.
Assmus was previously Canada’s highest ranked men’s referee and was in the middle of several Americas Rugby Championship matches. He remains an active official with Major League Rugby and is now adding TMO experience to his resume. His Six Nations appointments include France vs Italy in Grenoble on March 27, and Wales vs Scotland in Cardiff on April 2.
