International and Top14 referee Romain Poite is rumoured to make the move into coaching next season.
Romain Poite is set to retire from refereeing next season and join a coaching set up in the Top14. Poite has refereed 72 international test matches, the third most ever. He sits just behind Nigel Owens and Wayne Barnes in terms of international matches refereed.
Romain Poite is now 46 years of age and will require to retire from refereeing due to the age restriction of 45 set by the Top14. Poite has been acting as a consultant to Stade Francais this season. Poite is set to join the coaching set up at Toulon.
Former referees Jerome Garces and Alexandre Ruiz have also made the switch from refereeing into coaching in recent seasons. Garces is part of France’s coaching and staff and Ruiz with Montpellier. Montpellier, led by former France and Italy coach, Phillipe Saint Andre, are currently top of the Top14 league table.
Many fans made the coach from the infamous test match back in 2015 between Italy and England in the Six Nations where Poite told James Haskell “I'm the referee not the coach”.
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