International Rugby League announces 2022 Match Officials Panel
The International Rugby League (IRL) Match Officials Panels for 2022 have been announced and they include some changes following consultation with members.
The Elite Match Official Squad (EMOS) sees just one change as Henry Perenara from New Zealand has retired, he is replaced by fellow kiwi, Paki Parkinson who is promoted from the International Match Official Squad (IMOS).
New Zealand’s Chris McKenzie has also retired and is replaced in IMOS by NZRL nominee Joseph Green. The Rugby Football League has nominated Marcus Griffiths to replace Scott Mikalauskas in the second level squad.
Commenting on the first year of operation for the panels, IRL’s Match Officials Manager, Stuart Cummings said, “It was good to see some of the officials in action this year in international competitions. Although the number of games was limited, it was important that these squad and panel members experience the difference of international competition compared to their own national competition. It also enabled us to do some development work with IMOS and Emerging Match Official Panel (EMOP) members who all received feedback on their performances and had areas for development identified, which is an important process for our pathway.
“Hopefully the numbers in action will increase through 2022, not just with the rearranged RLWC2021, but through other fixtures that will be arranged. It is hardly surprising however, that at this stage there is little movement between the squads and panels.”
Joseph Green welcomed his inclusion in IMOS saying, “I’m very grateful to have been accepted into the International Match Officials Squad. Opportunities like this don’t come around very often and being one of a select few from New Zealand to be a part of this squad is awesome.”
Marcus Griffith has also joined IMOS and he commented, "I am really excited to be selected to join the international squad, I'm looking forward to the opportunities that could potentially arise from a world cup at the end of the 2022 domestic season.
“I would like to thank all those people who have helped me during my progression through the match officials’ pathway.”
The match officials appointed to senior international matches in 2022 will be drawn from these three panels. EMOS officials will take charge of games featuring the highest ranked nations, IMOS officials will take charge of the next level of matches and officials from EMOP will take charge of games suitable to their experience and development.
The full squads for 2022 are:
Elite Match Officials Squad (EMOS)
Grant Atkins Australia
Benjamin Casty France
Robert Hicks England
Chris Kendall England
Ashley Klein Australia
Liam Moore England
Paki Parkinson New Zealand
Gerry Sutton Australia
International Match Officials Squad (IMOS)
Kasey Badger Australia
James Child England
Anthony Elliott New Zealand
Adam Gee Australia
Peter Gough Australia
Joseph Green New Zealand
Marcus Griffiths England
James Jones Wales
Andrew Pilkington Spain
Geoffrey Poumes France
Rupa Hanua Papua New Guinea
Belinda Sharpe Australia
Chris Sutton Australia
Rochelle Tamarua New Zealand
Ben Thaler England
Etika Tukana Fiji
Stephane Vincent France
Paul Wane Papua New Guinea
Emerging Match Officials Panel (EMOP)
Suzanne Abotou Cameroon
Guido Bonatti Italy
Roman Bykhov Ukraine
Jaroslav Bzoch Czech Republic
Paul Causby Ireland
Denys Cherniev Ukraine
Aris Dardamanis Greece
Yannick Dassi Papua New Guinea
Eneri Driu Fiji
Luke Fenton Scotland
Oleksandr Ivchenko Ukraine
Cody Kuxmann USA
Fiona McConn Ireland
Marshall Nortey Ghana
Tony Palacios Spain
Warren Pretorius South Africa
Senivelati Qarau Fiji
Lara Saba Lebanon
James Spencer Ireland
Stefan Stamenic Serbia
Max Topani Papua New Guinea
Peter Trapper Jamaica
Solomone Vateitei Fiji
Peniasi Wara Fiji
Eamon Whelan Ireland
Kemoy White Jamaica
