Major change spotted on referee's kit as Olympics kick off

As the Olympic Sevens kicked off in front of a packed-out Stade de France yesterday afternoon, the eyes of the rugby world zoomed in on the likes of Antoine Dupont and Hugo Keenan as the 15s stars made their Olympic debuts.

With the immense quality and pure star power on display, it would have been easy to have missed the small addition that has been added to the referees’ shirts.

With their performance critiqued just as widely as the players nowadays, it seems only fair that refs be given the credit when it’s deserved. The officials in the middle may never physically get their hands on the ball, but their impact on the game can certainly be no less than the players themselves.

With this in mind, fans can now credit the officials personally, with the official’s kit now sporting their names on the back.

Referee names on their backs at the Olympics 👀

Could this be something we see introduced to 15s rugby and other sports in the future?#rugby #SevensRugby #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/WxqVZejIg4

— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 24, 2024