Who is England vs Wales referee Mike Adamson? Controversial official selected for huge Six Nations rugby clash
ENGLAND are lining up against Wales in a huge Six Nations rugby clash this week.
And a Scot has been chosen as the man in the middle – Mike Adamson.
Who is Mike Adamson?
Mike Adamson was born in Stirling, Scotland in 1984.
He represented the Scotland rugby sevens team from 2006 to 2011, including at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi.
His rugby career began in 2003 when he was signed by amateur side Glasgow Hawks, who he remained with until his retirement from rugby in 2014.
In 2006 he joined professional side Glasgow Warriors on a part-time deal before signing a full-time contract in 2007.
He would go on to make one competitive appearance for the club against Newport Gwent Dragons in 2008.
After finding himself behind Scotland internationals Dan Parks and Ruaridh Jackson, he moved to London Scottish, where he played one competitive match against London Welsh.
Following his retirement, Adamson switched to refereeing.
He said of his decision: “Former players usually go down the coaching route after retirement but I feel I will be able to achieve more through refereeing.
“I have gained a lot from rugby and would like to give back to the sport.”
Adamson quickly worked his way up the refereeing ladder as he refereed Anglo-Welsh Cup matches in England, Currie Cup matches in South Africa and second tier games in France.
He has refereed World Sevens matches since 2014 and made his Pro12 debut in 2016.
Has Mike Adamson refereed England or Wales before?
Mike Adamson refereed Wales’ 29-28 win over Australia in their final Autumn International of 2021.
Earlier that year, he refereed England’s 41-18 Six Nations victory over Italy.
This year, he has refereed France’s Six Nations opener against Italy, which they won 37-10.
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Why is Mike Adamson’s appointment controversial?
Some fans were surprised Mike Adamson was called up to referee in the Six Nations after his performance in a recent Champions Cup match between Harlequins and Castres.
When Alex Dombrandt crossed the line with the last play of the game for Harlequins, Adamson gave an on-field decision of “no try”.
However, after the footage of the incident was reviewed, he chose to award the try without conclusive evidence that it had been scored.
Adamson also incorrectly awarded a penalty against Castres following a legitimate breakdown turnover and missed a forward pass.
After that match, the decision to hand Adamson two Six Nations matches received severe criticism, including from former Ireland coach Eddie O’Sullivan.
