Michael Hooper says Italian referee Andrea Piardi should not be put in charge of matches involving Australia again.
Piardi yellow-carded captain Harry Wilson, Hunter Paisami, Ryan Lonergan and Joseph Suaalii during the final 12 minutes of the Wallabies’ 42-38 victory against the Springboks in Perth last Sunday, in which time the world champions fought back from 42-17 down.
“I don’t think Andrea Piardi should be allowed to referee Australia again,” Hooper said on Stan Sport’s Between Two Posts show.
“The reason I say that is not because of what I think about his reffing or him as a referee because I haven’t watched enough of his games as referee in my time, but it should be a World Rugby thing to look after their referees.
“World Rugby needs to think, ‘Well, there’s been some history now with this referee and this nation’.”
Australia had lost their previous three Tests with Piardi in charge – against Ireland in 2024, the British & Irish Lions in 2025 and the All Blacks last year – before Sunday’s victory.
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Hooper believes those previous encounters can influence both players and officials.
“Unfortunately you do carry scars from previous games and previous fixtures as players going into next match-ups, and I think the referees probably do too,” said the former Wallabies captain.
“They’re human, and it becomes hard. So I think in a duty of care sense he shouldn’t be put in a Wallabies game again.
“There are plenty of great referees out in the world and Piardi is certainly a referee who can do it at the top level, but it shouldn’t be with Australia.”
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Photo: Paul Kane/Getty Images
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Michael Hooper says Italian referee Andrea Piardi should not be put in charge of matches involving Australia again.
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