The International Rugby Match Officials Organisation Has Confirmed Lauren Jenner As Its First General Manager

IRMO, the International Rugby Match Officials organisation, has announced the appointment of Lauren Jenner as its first General Manager.

IRMO has the dual objectives of supporting officials on and off the field and adding its voice within World Rugby’s structures. In February 2023, Jenner was elected to the inaugural management committee of the International Rugby Match Officials body.

New Zealander Jenner has been an international referee at the Commonwealth Games, Tokyo Olympics, Rugby World Cup Sevens, and the Women’s Rugby World Cups in New Zealand, as well as RWC 2025 in England. She has been based in Italy for the past three years and represents the Federazione Italiana Rugby.

She was also involved in the 2025 Women’s Six Nations Championship, which was her fourth tournament. She took time out and missed the Paris Games 2024 due to pregnancy.

She previously said via the Six Nations of getting into refereeing, “I played junior club rugby as a young kid, and then I got a couple of injuries during my teenage years and decided to swap the boots for the running boots, and the boots for the whistle boots.”

Jenner progressed through the refereeing ranks, and when she was 20, she made her debut in the Farah Palmer Cup in September 2017.

Photo Credit – IRMO – Lauren Jenner with the match officials at RWC 2025

Lauren Jenner added online via her own LinkedIn, “I’m excited to share that I’ve been appointed as the first General Manager of International Rugby Match Officials (IRMO). It’s an honour to step into this role with an organisation dedicated to supporting and representing the world’s top rugby match officials, both on and off the field, and championing the values that make our game so special.”

Jenner explained, “As an active international referee, I’ve seen first-hand the importance of having a strong collective voice and the right structures in place to enable officials to perform at their best. I’m looking forward to working with our members, World Rugby, and stakeholders across the game to continue building that platform”

Mark Egan, IRMO Chairman, said, “This is an important milestone in the evolution of IRMO, as we look to expand our support for high-performance match officials in the increasingly pressurised international rugby environment.

As an active elite referee and an accomplished administrator and communications professional, I have no doubt that Lauren will make a significant contribution to our work.”

Jenner will serve as IRMO’s main point of contact in supporting and representing IRMO members, coordinating with external partners and media, and managing the IRMO relationship with World Rugby.

IRMO’s members include record-breaker Wayne Barnes, the most-capped referee in test history with 101 matches, and Rugby World Cup 2021 and Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 final referee Hollie Davidson.

Photo Credit – World Rugby – Lauren Jenner

The IRMO’s Management Committee consists of:

• Mark Egan (Chairman, Non-Executive)
• Wayne Barnes (Retired Referee Representative)
• Angus Gardner (Men’s 15s Representative)
• Hollie Davidson (Women’s 15s Representative)
• Brian MacNeice (TMO Representative)
• Nick Hogan (Men’s Sevens Representative)
• Maria Latos (Women’s Sevens Representative)

Speaking to Rugbyreferee.net, Lauren said, “I’m looking forward to representing and supporting our match officials, with a strong focus on their welfare both on and off the field. It’s a privilege to help ensure they have the voice and support needed to thrive at the highest level of the game, while inspiring the next generation to take up officiating.”

What is the IRMO?

The world’s first representative body for international high-performance match officials,  the International Rugby Match Officials, was launched in 2022 and established with the support of World Rugby.

They facilitate key interactions between the global governing body and match officials selected for men’s and women’s international 15s and sevens competitions.

Since its inception, IRMO has:

• Represented referees and match officials
• Advocated for the physical and mental well-being of match officials
• Contributed to the evolution of laws, protocols, and performance environments
• Promoted officiating as a rewarding and integral part of high-performance sport

As part of the IRMO mandate, they:

• Promote the development of high-performance match officials and inspire more young people to take up officiating
• Promote the values of the game that are central to the sport’s growth

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