One of the leading jobs of a referee is to manage the time in a football match, yet officials at the Rugby World Cup aren't wearing watches because of a row with timepiece sponsor Tudor. However, the referees are not wearing Tudor watches this tournament - and are not allowed to wear other timepieces due to the sponsorship arrangement. The issue dates back to the 2019 Rugby World Cup, when officials were given Tudor watches. However, rugby officials are understood to be bemused by the standoff, because they have never been directly told they cannot sell the watches in the past. The referees were told they could wear Garmin watches instead of Tudor because they are not direct competitors.
