Scottish referee Mike Adamson, 36, took charge of his first Six Nations fixture between England and Italy at the 2021 Six Nations. Not since 2002 has a Scot refereed a Six Nations match, when Rob Dickson was the man in the middle for Ireland’s 32-17 victory over Italy.

A former Scotland 7s international, Adamson represented his nation 30 times in his career. He’s now doing the same on Saturdays, although in a slightly different role.

Adamson describes a desire to achieve more through refereeing than was possible in his playing career.

“Former players usually go down the coaching route after retirement. But I feel I will be able to achieve more through refereeing. I have gained a lot from rugby and would like to give back to the sport.”

Becoming the first appointed Scottish referee for the Six Nations in 19 years is also a big step forwards in Adamson’s career, but also one he feels he deserves.

“Being appointed to the Six Nations tournament is a great feeling,” explained Mike Adamson. “It’s something I have been working towards for a while now. I’ve had a few set-backs in the last couple of years, so I’m looking forward to the opportunity to go out there and show what I can do in such a big competition.”

“Obviously, this will be a great personal achievement. But it’s not just about me; there have been a lot of people working hard in the background leading up to this point. I’d like to thank everyone who has supported me.”

“It was a very nice surprise and obviously something I am looking forward to,” Adamson said. “I’ve played and refereed sevens at Twickenham and it is a cracking venue.

Related: 2021 Six Nations referees

Adamson has certainly had to work his way up to this point, proving his credentials for five years now. He made his Pro12 refereeing debut in 2016 before taking charge of the 2016 Olympic semi-final in Rio between Fiji and Japan.

The Scot only made his 15s refereeing debut in 2017, and was the man in the middle for Georgia’s fixture with Fiji in 2020’s Autumn Nations Cup. He has enjoyed something of a meteoric rise. However, he is by no means underestimating the challenge presented to him, and will clearly strive for similar opportunities in the future.

“Getting the appointment to a tournament like this feels similar to being a player selected for the team. It’s a great feeling, but then you need to put in a good performance. It’s the same in refereeing, I need to do a good job.”

“Because of the pandemic I’ve had a number of fixtures cancelled, so any chance I’ve had to get involved has been a privilege and I’m doing everything I can to get ready to take to the pitch for the tournament in 2021.”

As well as refereeing his first Six Nations fixture, Adamson’s appointment included three other fixtures as assistant referee.

In 2022 he refereed his first Rugby Championship match between Argentina and Australia. He is yet to be selected for a World Cup.