Referee John Lacey to retire from test officiating

Irish international referee John Lacey has decided to retire from test officiating to take up a high performance referee coaching and talent identification role with the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU).

The third most-capped test referee in Irish rugby history, Lacey has taken charge of 37 international matches – 30 of them tests – between 2010 and 2018, and officiated four matches at Rugby World Cup 2015.

Lacey will take charge of his final international when Argentina face the Barbarians at Twickenham on 1 December and will continue to officiate at European and PRO14 level until the end of the current season before taking up his new role.