Rugby union match officials Rugby union match officials Rugby union match officials are responsible for enforcing the rugby union laws of the game during a match and imposing sanctions on individuals who do not follow the rules. "Every match is under the control of match officials who consist of the referee and two touch judges or assistant referees." Further officials can be authorised depending on the level and form of the game. When the game of rugby union was developed at Rugby school, there were no official rugby referees. It was not until many years later when the game began to spread internationally that
Rugby union in Tokelau Rugby union in Tokelau Rugby union is a popular sport in Tokelau. Like many other Pacific nations, Tokelauan rugby is a popular, but often not formally organised sport. Tokelauans due to their small numbers, and scattered island population, have often preferred rugby sevens to the XV game, although Tokelau did play rugby 15s at the 1983 South Pacific Games, including a creditable 15–28 loss to , a much larger Pacific nation. Rugby sevens has been a sport in the South Pacific Games since the late 1990s. There is also a semi-formal league structure. Tokelau's main problems are related to population