Eighteen match officials representing 13 countries have been selected for the showpiece event, 10 for the men’s competition at Cape Town Stadium and eight for the women’s. Breakspear and Cisco Lopez are members of the men’s panel for the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series but have been selected for the women’s competition in South Africa.
“The next couple of months are a busy time for our sevens referees,” said WRU National Referee Performance Manager, Paul Adams.
“Ben Breakspear has been selected to referee in the Women’s World Cup in September. Prior to this he will be refereeing in the Men’s Rugby Europe Championship on the July 1-3 in Krakov and prior to the Commonwealth Games he will be refereeing in the Men’s RWC play-off competition on the 16th-18th June.
“We also have Amber Stamp-Dunnstan who has also been selected for the Womens’ Trophy Sevens in Budapest on June 17-18. As a Union we are delighted with their selection, especially as both are relatively new to the sevens circuit. This is the beginning of their sevens career which promises to be an exciting venture for them.”
World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said: “I would like to congratulate the panel on their selection for Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 in Cape Town. The fact that 13 nations are represented speaks volumes about the global appeal of the sport.
“Cape Town promises to be an exceptional spectacle, a showcase of rugby sevens at its best and a celebration of friendship and togetherness following the pandemic.”
World Rugby High Performance Sevens Referee Manager Paddy O’Brien added: “Just like a player, a referee strives to be selected for the big events and the 18 selected for RWC Sevens 2022 are no exception. Apart from the Olympics, RWC Sevens is the biggest sevens tournament and this group of referees are excited and fully prepared for the showpiece event of our sport.”
