Italy vs France referee: Who is Six Nations official Karl Dickson?
England's Karl Dickson is one of the officials for the 2025 Six Nations.
The former professional player ended a long top-level career in 2017 having narrowly missed out on an England cap.
Younger brother Lee, also a scrum half, appeared 18 times for his country between 2012 and 2014.
While he may not have reached the international level as a player, the elder Dickson sibling has rapidly risen through the refereeing ranks after starting his officiating journey while still playing for Harlequins.
He joined the Rugby Football Union's Professional Game Match Officials Team (PGMOT) on retirement, and three years later made the step up to Test level.
A Six Nations debut arrived last year and made the cut for a first World Cup in the autumn of 2023 as one of four English referees.
Dickson refereed a number of pool matches at the tournament, before being pressed into emergency duties during the first quarter-final between Wales and Argentina.
Having been appointed as an assistant, Jaco Peyper's Achilles injury meant that the 41-year-old was forced to take over as referee, overseeing the Pumas narrow victory.
An appointment as one of Wayne Barnes's assistants for the final followed as part of an all-English officiating team.
Italy vs France match officials
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wales Online
29 minutes ago
- Wales Online
Red Roses launch national yarn art campaign to inspire a generation ahead of Women's Rugby World Cup 2025
Red Roses launch national yarn art campaign to inspire a generation ahead of Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 Abby Dow and Tatyana Heard are leading a creative initiative inviting youngsters to get into rugby union and back the England team by contributing to spectacular Red Rose yarn art takeovers across the country A sea of knitted and crochet rugby themed artwork is expected to be displayed across community rugby clubs, host cities, and local communities England Rugby stars Abby Dow and Tatyana Heard have today called upon the nation to show its support of the Red Roses as they aim for World Cup glory on home soil this summer. Dow and Heard are leading a creative initiative inviting youngsters to get into rugby union and back the England team by contributing to spectacular Red Rose yarn art takeovers across the country. A sea of knitted and crochet rugby themed artwork is expected to be displayed across community rugby clubs, host cities, and local communities, and Red Roses winger Dow is encouraging the nation to get involved with their local project. 'Whether you are a lifelong rugby fan, a dedicated crafter, or someone who just wants to play a part in something special, we are encouraging fans across England to get creative and show their support this summer,' Dow said. 'Crochet is a mindful hobby that we use as a squad to bond and create meaningful connections. We want fans new and old to connect with our sport through rugby crochet and knitting, while being part of an inspiring national movement. 'We are in a golden age of women's sport and we feel a responsibility to maximise this incredible opportunity to inspire the next generation of female players and fans across the summer.' Inspired by the Red Roses love of crochet as a team bonding activity, the yarn art takeovers form part of the RFU's engagement activities designed to inspire female players and deliver a lasting legacy for Women's Rugby World Cup 2025. Fans wishing to get involved and contribute to displays across their local communities, clubs and cities can download crochet patterns via the England Rugby website. The patterns available are a red rose, bunting and a rugby ball square. Article continues below Full details of national display points and submission deadlines will be available via the RFU website HERE. Supplied creations will then be stitched together by dedicated teams of volunteers ahead of a national unveiling of Yarn Art in early August.
The Independent
37 minutes ago
- The Independent
Flamengo or Fluminense? I asked a Brazil World Cup winner who can shock Europe's elite
In international football, Brazil are synonymous with the World Cup, even if they have been stuck on five wins since 2002. The expanded Club World Cup may offer fewer chances of success, given how much of the financial and footballing power rests in Europe. And yet Brazil has outnumbered everyone else in one respect. No other country provides as many of the 32 clubs who are converging on the United States. In Palmeiras, Flamengo, Fluminense and Botafogo, it provides a quartet, the last four winners of the Copa Libertadores. For a World Cup winner, the 2022 champions of South America are the likeliest to last longest in North America. 'The best team in Brazil for now is Flamengo just because they have the best players,' said Kleberson, part of that 2002 side. 'A lot of the players come [back] from Europe, they play in the big leagues and the Champions League and they have a really good quality. In my opinion, the club that can go most far is Flamengo.' How far? In a tournament with 12 European clubs, the context has changed. In the old Club World Cup, South American sides made six of the last 10 finals, but lost each. Now perhaps a quarter-final appearance would represent a cause for satisfaction. 'If they got in a semi-final, it is really special for clubs in Brazil,' said Kleberson. 'Paris Saint-Germain won the Champions League and we can see how far they are from a club from Brazil.' There is also a test of staying power. 'The difficulty is before the clubs from Brazil won this tournament, they prepare to play three games,' added Kleberson. 'Now it is a little bit different, you have to be more smart to play more games.' He has, though, identified a potential advantage. Flamengo's first two matches, including a clash with Chelsea, are in Philadelphia; not quite home soil for some of their supporters but not far off. 'The thing Flamengo and Botafogo have is they have great fans and a lot who live in New York or the USA,' Kleberson said. 'They can travel and watch the game and push their team and give a little bit of energy for the clubs.' And Flamengo have decorated players. Besides their band of Copa Libertadores winners, Danilo is a Champions League winner from his time at Real Madrid. A man who collected his medal with Chelsea in 2021 is a new signing: Jorginho, a Euro 2020 winner with Italy but a Brazilian by birth. 'It is an amazing deal,' said Kleberson, himself a former Flamengo midfielder. 'Jorginho is a top, top player in Europe for a long time. He participates in a lot of good trophies. Even the quality he can bring for Flamengo, he is going to give a lot of confidence to the players because he is going to be a leader on the team now and every fan is excited to see Jorginho play. He is a mini Brazilian; he was born in Brazil and his dream is to come and play in Brazil.' Perhaps Jorginho reflects a trend. Many a South American player in his prime can be found on the other side of the Atlantic; indeed, nine European clubs have at least one Brazilian in their Club World Cup squad. So those plying their trade in their homeland can sometimes be nearer the start or end of their careers. Two may be of particular interest to Chelsea. Another of their 2021 Champions League winners is Thiago Silva who will, at 40, anchor the Fluminense defence. 'Of course, he is not the Thiago Silva when he is 25 years old but the quality he has, the vision he has, the experience he has in the world, playing in the top level, he can push Fluminense to compete in a good level,' said Kleberson. At the other end of the age spectrum, the 18-year-old Estevao Willian has been bought by Chelsea and will link up with them after playing for Palmeiras in the United States. 'I am really curious how he is going to go in the Premier League because he has a lot of potential,' added Kleberson. The teenager's goals helped Palmeiras set the pace in the Brazilian Serie A. Flamengo then replaced them at the top but only temporarily, as the four teams headed to the United States will have games postponed. If European sides could be exhausted at the end of domestic campaigns, their South American counterparts have a different scenario. 'Brazil always go to the World Cup with players from Brazil who are in the middle of their season,' said Kleberson; he speaks from experience after winning the 2002 tournament while at Atletico Paranaense. Since then, still more leading South American players have headed for Europe. If the money from the Club World Cup could be transformative, Kleberson argued there is already money in Brazilian football. 'They have a lot of good budgets,' he said. And he puts himself in the position of Brazilian footballers heading to the Club World Cup. 'I don't think they just think about the money,' he said. 'Imagine for the players to play in this tournament, it is an amazing opportunity, it is a mini World Cup, you can get close to the players you are probably never going to see again. It is really cool for the players.'
Fashion United
37 minutes ago
- Fashion United
Louis Vuitton kits out Real Madrid
LVMH-owned Louis Vuitton and Spanish football and basketball club Real Madrid have announced a multi-year partnership. The French fashion house will provide formal travel attire for the men's and women's professional football teams, as well as the men's basketball team, Louis Vuitton announced on Friday, June 13. For the first time, Louis Vuitton placed its tailoring "at the service of athletes whose sporting achievements extend far beyond the stadiums". Caroline Weir and Athenea del Castillo in 'Louis Vuitton x Real Madrid' collection Credits: Louis Vuitton "We are proud to support a club whose history, marked by countless national and international victories, continues to inspire generations," said Louis Vuitton CEO Pietro Beccari. "Louis Vuitton and Real Madrid share fundamental values that have led them to the top of their respective disciplines, driven by a continuous quest for excellence, 'self-improvement' and a spirit of innovation." The Louis Vuitton menswear atelier, led by creative director Pharrell Williams, will be responsible for the collections created specifically for the players and other team members of the Spanish professional club. These include ready-to-wear clothing, shoes and accessories to be worn at official events, as well as pieces, bags and backpacks tailored to the players' travels. The focus is on a subtle balance of comfort, performance and elegance. "Real Madrid stands for excellence and evolution – always striving forward," said Williams. "This energy fuels what we do at Louis Vuitton. This wardrobe was created to move with that same spirit – pieces that travel with purpose, strength and style." Dani Ceballos in 'Louis Vuitton x Real Madrid' collection with matching suitcase Credits: Louis Vuitton The 'Louis Vuitton x Real Madrid' collections are intended solely for the teams and will not be available for sale. This article was translated to English using an AI tool. FashionUnited uses AI language tools to speed up translating (news) articles and proofread the translations to improve the end result. This saves our human journalists time they can spend doing research and writing original articles. Articles translated with the help of AI are checked and edited by a human desk editor prior to going online. If you have questions or comments about this process email us at info@
