Klein, Badger among large NRL refereeing contingent at World Cup

NRL grand final referee Ashley Klein will officiate at his fourth World Cup after being one of nine Australian match officials selected to travel to England for the tournament.

Klein, who controlled the 2008 World Cup final when New Zealand upset Australia at Suncorp Stadium to claim the Paul Barrière Trophy for the first time, is hoping to be in charge of the November 19 at Old Trafford.

Other NRL match officials include Gerard Sutton, Grant Atkins, Kasey Badger, Darian Furner, Darian, Adam Gee, Wyatt Raymond, Belinda Sharpe and Todd Smith.

Sutton refereed the 2017 final between the Kangaroos and England and has overseen seven NRL grand finals, the 2014 World Club Challenge and eight State of Origins.

The Australian contingent will be joined by match officials from England, France and New Zealand, including Jack Smith - a former Royal Marine who was shot by a sniper by the Taliban in 2011.

Smith has been a touch judge in the 2016 Four Nations series in 2016 and the 2017, 2020 and 2021 Challenge Cup finals as well as the 2021 Super League grand final in 2021.  

England’s No.1 referee Liam Moore, who has officiated at the last two Super League grand finals as well as the 2020 and 2021 Challenge Cup finals, is also in the World Cup squad.

Klein was a leading Super League referee before moving to Australia after the 2008 World Cup.

“I have always loved international rugby league so to be a part of my fourth World Cup is something I am really looking forward to,” Klein said.

“I spent eight years in the UK and not only refereed in the Super League but also international games in Russia and Lebanon and some places I never thought I would go to as a referee.

“Those experiences were some of the best that I have had in rugby league because they made me realise how passionate the people involved are about the game and how much they love it.”

In contrast, the World Cup will be the first time Badger has been to England and the NRLW grand final referee is looking forward to officiating at some of the famous venues where matches will be played.

“England is the birthplace of the game so I am looking forward to the opportunity to referee there and we have got a big group of people going over which will just add to that experience,” Badger said.

“I remember as a kid waking up at all hours of the morning to watch international games. I remember Mal Meninga’s last tour over there [in 1994], and making sure that my mum woke me up to watch the games.

“To be able to run around on some of those fields and soak up the atmosphere of the crowds over there is going to be incredible and something I have only ever dreamed about.”

Badger, Belinda Sharpe New Zealand’s Rochelle Tamarua? are the only three female referees in the squad and they will officiate across the men’s and women’s tournament fixtures.

There are some minor differences between the rules in the NRL and those in place at the World Cup but Klein and Badger were confident that referees would have no problems adapting.

“We do know it is going to be different to the NRL but adapting to different rules is something that sets you apart as elite officials,” Badger said.

“In our game rules change all the time and people also like different styles of refereeing and different ways to manage games so I am sure that is something we can adapt to.”

Klein said that NRL officials had to adapt in recent seasons to the shift from two referees to one and the introduction of the six-again rule, which has now been adopted across the game.

“Having refereed over a number of years I believe the rules between the Super League and the NRL are probably as close now as they have ever been, and they are very similar in the international game,” Klein said.

“However, there is still an interpretation of the rules,that, when we get into camp with the other officials, we will obviously discuss so that it is a level playing field for everybody.”

 NRL GM of elite officiating Jared Maxwell will also be involved in the World Cup the RLWC2021 lead match officials coach.

“The tournament brings together the best players from across the globe and it’s important that the quality of officiating meets those same high standards,” Maxwell said.

“I know that our officials are really looking forward to travelling to England to play their part in what is looking set to be a fantastic tournament.” 

In addition, a squad of eight match officials has been appointed for the Wheelchair World Cup, which is being run alongside the men’s and women’s tournaments for the first time.

Former Wheelaroos player Steven Hewson is among the eight, and he will join referees from England, France, Scotland and Wales for the matches in Sheffield and London before the final in Manchester on November 18.    

Men’s and Women’s World Cup match officials  

Grant Atkins, (NRL), Kasey Badger (NRL), Dean Bowmer (RFL), Ben Casty (FFRXIII), James Child (RFL), Darian Furner (NRL),  Adam Gee (NRL), Tom Grant (RFL), Marcus Griffiths (RFL), Robert Hicks (RFL), Neil Horton (RFL), Chris Kendall (RFL), Ashley Klein (NRL), Aaron Moore (RFL), Liam Moore (RFL), Paki Parkinson (NZRL), Geoffrey Poumes (FFRXIII), Wyatt Raymond (NRL), Liam Rush (RFL), Belinda Sharpe (NRL), Michael Smaill (RFL), Jack Smith (RFL), Todd Smith (NRL), Gerard Sutton(NRL), Rochelle Tamarua (NZRL), Ben Thaler (RFL), Warren Turley (RFL), James Vella (RFL). 

Wheelchair World Cup officials

Kim Abel (Wales), Laurent Abrial (FFRXIII), Matthew Ball (England), David Butler (England), Ollie Cruickshank (Scotland), Steve Hewson (Australia), Grant Jackson (Wales), David Roig (FFRXIII).