Referee Pascal Gauzere was born in 1977 in Montfort-en-Chalosse, a commune in south-west France. Gauzere’s introduction to refereeing came while serving a several-week suspension as a player, before making the switch permanent when he was 25. His quick rise through the French refereeing ranks eventually led to Gauzere’s Top 14 debut in 2006.

Two Junior World Championship appointments in 2009 and 2010 included Gauzere refereeing the U20 final between Australia and New Zealand. Later in 2010, Gauzere’s senior test debut came when taking charge of Georgia v Canada. Significantly, Pascal Gauzere was also the referee for “The Final Challenge” between Barbarians and South Africa in 2010.

His Six Nations bow came in the 2011 fixture between Ireland and Scotland. He was a regular referee in the championship, offering a high level of experience.

Appointments for both the 2015 and 2019 Rugby World Cups proved the Frenchman’s reputation, despite surpassing the age of 40 in 2017.

However, Gauzere has come in for some criticism during his refereeing career, most notably in 2019. A summer 2019 fixture between Wales and England led to Eddie Jones claiming that Gauzere should’ve been shown a yellow card for his performance. As sin-binned Anthony Watson was leaving the field, Wales went on to score a try after taking a quick penalty. Although within the laws of the game, Jones was unhappy with the decision, feeling aggrieved by the Frenchman’s decision.

In 2021 Gauzere decided to retire from refereeing, his last match being between the British and Irish Lions and Japan. He said upon retirement: “Rugby officiating has given me so much from incredible experiences in the middle of test matches, European or Top 14 matches to friendships and the spirit of camaraderie that can only be felt in rugby.

“As I start a new chapter of my life, I will continue to pass on these beautiful values that are at the heart of the sport and its officiating.”