Karl Dickson

Karl Dickson was born on 2 August 1982 in Salisbury, Wiltshire. He began his rugby career as a scrum-half, playing for Bedford Blues and Harlequins. He was promoted to Bedford’s senior team in 2004 and made over 100 appearances for the club before joining Harlequins in 2009. At Harlequins, he made 169 appearances, contributing to the team’s success, including their 2011–12 Premiership final victory over Leicester Tigers. During his playing career, Dickson was recognized for his quick decision-making and leadership abilities.

In 2017, Karl Dickson announced his retirement from professional rugby playing. He then joined the Rugby Football Union’s Professional Game Match Officials Team (PGMOT) to pursue a career in refereeing, a path he had begun preparing for in 2014 while still playing. His dedication to refereeing saw him officiate at various levels, including National League 1 fixtures, A League semi-finals, and Greene King IPA Championship matches. He made his international refereeing debut in a friendly game between France and Wales in October 2020.

Dickson’s refereeing career continued to advance, leading to his Six Nations refereeing debut in 2022, overseeing the Scotland v France match. In 2023, he made his Rugby World Cup debut, officiating the Wales v Portugal game, and later the quarter-final between Wales and Argentina, also serving as an assistant referee in the final between South Africa and New Zealand. He is scheduled to officiate two 2025 Men’s Six Nations matches, Scotland v Italy and Italy v France, further establishing his position as a prominent international rugby referee.