Rugby: Notorious French referee Mathieu Raynal to retire after July international window

French rugby referee Mathieu Raynal - the man best known for his 2022 time-wasting call against Wallabies first-five Bernard Foley - will retire, after bringing up his 50th test in the July international window.

Raynal, 42, made his international refereeing debut in 2009, presiding over a match between Malta and Netherlands, and will become the 13th referee and fourth Frenchman to achieve 50 tests. 

"After 18 years in the professional game and almost 350 games refereed, the end of the season will be time to bring to an end an activity which I have deeply loved and which has given me unforgettable experiences on pitches all around the world," he said. 

"Even if I had the power to do so, I would not change anything in my journey to this point, including, above all, the most difficult moments. Those moments awoke me to the limitless power of courage, fortitude and resilience, and they also allowed me to enjoy the good times with even greater relish and intensity."

One of those tense moments came in the final minutes of the Bledisloe Cup contest between the All Blacks and Wallabies, with the home side leading 37-34 at Melbourne's Marvel Stadium.

More to come

French rugby referee Mathieu Raynal - the man best known for his 2022 time-wasting call against Wallabies first-five Bernard Foley - will retire, after bringing up his 50th test in the July international window.

Raynal, 42, made his international refereeing debut in 2009, presiding over a match between Malta and Netherlands, and will become the 13th referee and fourth Frenchman to achieve 50 tests. 

"After 18 years in the professional game and almost 350 games refereed, the end of the season will be time to bring to an end an activity which I have deeply loved and which has given me unforgettable experiences on pitches all around the world," he said. 

"Even if I had the power to do so, I would not change anything in my journey to this point, including, above all, the most difficult moments. Those moments awoke me to the limitless power of courage, fortitude and resilience, and they also allowed me to enjoy the good times with even greater relish and intensity."

One of those tense moments came in the final minutes of the Bledisloe Cup contest between the All Blacks and Wallabies, with the home side leading 37-34 at Melbourne's Marvel Stadium.

More to come

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