Try Tag Rugby is proud to announce the UK referees selected to officiate at the 2026 ITF World Cup, which will take place in Coffs Harbour, Australia.
The UK will be represented by:
Adam Johnson
Alex Davies
Dave Matkov
Dom Collingwood
Jonno Huntington
Lewis O’Brien
Matt Blades
Sam Rounce
Steph McCabe
Zac Pepper
This marks a historic moment for UK Tag Rugby, with ten referees selected to attend the World Cup. It is the largest referee contingent the UK has ever sent to the tournament and reflects the continued growth, development and strength of officiating across the country.
The group includes a strong blend of experience and first-time World Cup officials. Six of the ten referees will officiate at a Tag Rugby World Cup for the first time, highlighting the success of the UK referee pathway and the emergence of new officials at international level.
The selection of Steph McCabe is another significant milestone for UK refereeing. Steph becomes only the second female referee ever selected by the UK to officiate at a Tag Rugby World Cup, reflecting both her outstanding achievements as an official and the continued progress being made in developing female referees within the sport.
There is also significant World Cup experience within the team. Alex Davies and Jonno Huntington will referee at their second World Cup, having previously officiated at the 2023 tournament. Matt Blades will attend his third World Cup, following appearances in 2018 and 2023, while Dom Collingwood will referee at his fourth World Cup, having officiated in 2015, 2018 and 2023.
The announcement also demonstrates the national growth of refereeing within Try Tag Rugby. Six of the ten selected referees are based outside the London area, underlining the development of referees across the UK and the increasing strength of regional officiating programmes.
Luke Doe, Try Tag Rugby Referee Manager, said:
“This is a landmark moment for UK refereeing. To have ten referees selected for the ITF World Cup is a fantastic achievement and reflects the hard work, commitment and professionalism of this group. It is particularly pleasing to see such strong representation from outside London, as it shows the referee pathway is continuing to grow nationally. We are incredibly proud of all ten officials and look forward to seeing them represent the UK on the world stage.”
The selected referees have been involved in the ITF UK Referee Panel programme, which has supported officials through mentoring, self-evaluation, referee education, fitness preparation and tournament performance opportunities.
Try Tag Rugby congratulates Adam, Alex, Dave, Dom, Jonno, Lewis, Matt, Sam, Steph and Zac on their selection and wishes them every success at the 2026 ITF World Cup in Coffs Harbour.