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2025-26 GBR INTERNATIONAL REFEREEING ROUND-UP

This article forms part of a series of additional reports accompanying the 2025-26 BF Annual Report. 

Note: This report covers referee activity for the 2025-26 season up to August 2026. While this falls outside the financial year, from a fencing perspective, this is considered the period of Major Championships across all the age groups: Cadets, Juniors, U23s, and Seniors.

On this page:

  • Master List Nominations (FIE and EFC and WPF)
  • New Licenses (FIE EFC and WPF information)
  • World Championship Selections
  • European Championship Selections
  • Other Notable Referee Allocations

MASTER LIST NOMINATIONS

FIE Master List

The FIE does not publish its master list. The FIE Master List is made up of the referees appointed by the FIE to FIE Senior World Cups and Grand Prixs.

Adrian Speakman has been on the FIE Master list for over seven years.

Sam McLellan remains on the FIE Master list after being appointed in January 2025.

EFC Master List

In December 2025, British referees Luke Deamer, Euan Deamer, Chiara McDermott and Sam McLellan were selected onto the EFC Referee Master List for the second year in a row. Adrian Speakman has been now been selected for every list since 2018.

Associate BF Referee Pathway member Sarah Steacy (IRL) has also been included on the list.

The European Fencing Confederation (EFC) Master List is comprised of 90 FIE referees from over 26 countries. It is used by the EFC to select referees for major European championships.

Read More Here.

World Para Fencing (WPF) List

The WPF does not operate a list in the same way as the FIE or the EFC.

NEW LICENSES

FIE Licenses

The FIE Refereeing exams were held in Madrid in September 2025. Referees that pass are awarded their FIE Refereeing licence. Sam McLellan (already FIE licensed in sabre) passed the FIE foil exam. Euan Deamer (already FIE licensed in foil) and Seth Blackmore (already EFC C licensed in epee) passed their FIE epee exam.

Read more here. 

New EFC Licenses

EFC licenses are awarded on the basis of in-event assessments. In September 2025, Sam Ogden was awarded an EFC C License for foil, whilst Louis Gosling and Alex Pearson were both awarded EFC C Licenses in Sabre.

Read more here. 

WPF Licenses

No licenses were awarded to any GBR referees this season.

From March 2026, World Para Fencing will require two weapon licenses in order to be selected as a referee in International competitions. As of July 2026, we have four eligible GBR referees for international competitions. They are Chris Farren, Sean Grundy, Mike Salter and Jessica Zhang.

BF, along with the referee advisory group and wheelchair fencing refereeing expert Chris Farren, is reviewing the domestic wheelchair fencing pathway. Looking ahead, this will go to consultation and be developed in 2026-27.

World Championship appointments

Para World Championships, September 2025, Iksan, Korea

GBR Referees Mike Salter and Sean Grundy were selected by World Para Fencing. They refereed the Mens Sabre A and B semi finals and were video referees for the bronze medal bouts. UK Based, BF member, Jessica Zhang refereed the Epee and Foil events, and served as video referee for several Semi Final Matches. Read more about The Championships here. 

Cadet and Junior World Championships, April 2026, Rio, Brazil

GBR Referee Sam McLellan and BF Associate member Victoria Mentor (AUS) were selected by the FIE to referee at the Cadet and Junior World Championships in April 2026. Sam McLellan refereed in both the Cadet and Junior Women’s Sabre Individual Finals. Read more about The Championships here. 

Commonwealth Championships, August 2026, Lagos, Nigeria

Euan Deamer refereed a Mens Foil Semi Final, a Mens Epee Semi Final and the Women’s Epee Team Final.

European Championship appointments

Cadet and Junior European Championships, Feb 2026 Tbilisi, Georgia

Selected by the EFC, Chiara McDermott (GBR) refereed in Individual Junior Men’s Epee and Individual and Team Men’s Foil events. She refereed up to the Semi-Finals of the Cadet Women’s Epee, and assisted with video for the Final of the Individual Cadet Women’s Foil.

Associate pathway referee Sarah Stacey (IRL) refereed in the Junior Men’s and Women’s Epee. She was the video referee for the Cadet Women’s Epee and Junior Team Women’s Epee semi Finals and assistant in the Junior Team Men’s Epee Final. Read more here. 

EFC U23 European Championships, April 2026, Cagliari, Italy

Euan Deamer refereed a Womens Foil Semi Final and was assistant referee for the Mens Team Foil Final.

Senior European Championships, June 2026, Antony, France

Sam McLellan was selected by the EFC and refereed at the Senior European Championships in Antony. He refereed up to the semi finals of Senior Men’s and Women’s Sabre Individual and was video referee in the two finals. He was also selected to referee in the Mens and Women’s Team Sabre Semi Finals and was video referee for the table of 32 Senior Mens Foil. Read more about the European Championships here. 

Veterans European Championships, May 2026, Cognac, France

Euan Deamer refereed the Women’s Foil Individual Final, Grand Vets Women’s Foil Individual Bronze and Grand Vets Mens Individual Foil Bronze.

Para Fencing European Championships, October 2026, Cardiff, Wales 

(Note there was no Senior Para European Championships during this season, the next one is being held in Cardiff in October 2026, Cardiff, Wales)

Other Notable Allocations

(Key – M = Mens, W = Womens, F = Foil, E = Epee, S=Sabre, Ind = Individual. T = Team)

Aside from the above Championships, our GBR refereeing team has been active across the international FIE, EFC and World Para Fencing circuits. Performances include:

FIE Satellites 

  • David Fielding – Semi Finals and Final WE Ind Geneva, October 2025
  • Euan Deamer – Semi Final referee assessorr for M&WE Ind Dublin, September 2026

Semi Finals or Finals at FIE U20 Junior World Cups

  • Euan Deamer, video referee, MF Ind Semi Final, WFT Bronze referee and MF Ind Final assesseur, Istanbul, November 2025.
  • Euan Deamer, video referee MF Ind Semi Final, MF Ind Final and MF Team Final assesseur, Samorin, November 2025
  • Sam McLellan, WS Ind  Final, Budapest, December 2025
  • Sam McLellan, MS Ind and MS Team Finals, Hammamet, December 2025
  • Euan Deamer, MF Team Semi Final, Madrid, January 2026

Semi Finals or Finals at FIE Senior World Cups

  • Sam McLellan, WS Ind Final, Budapest, December 2025
  • Sam McLellan, WS Ind Final, Orleans, December 2025.
  • Sam McLellan, MS Ind and MTS, Salt Lake City, January 2026

Semi Finals or Finals at FIE Senior Grand Prixs

  • Sam McLellan, WS Ind Final, Incheon, May 2026

Semi Finals or Finals at WPF Senior World Cups

  • Sean Grundy, Cat B WF Ind Semi Final and Final, Bradenton, May 2026
  • Chris Farren, Cat B MS Ind Final and assisted Semi Final, Bradenton, May 2026
  • Mike Salter Cat B WS Ind, video referee, Bradenton, May 2026
  • Mike Salter Mixed Team Epee, Semi Final and Final,
  • Sean Grundy Mixed Team Epee, assistant referee Semi Final, Bradenton, May 2026
  • Mike Salter Mixed Team Sabre, assisted Semi Final, Bradenton, May 2026

(if we have missed any performances please let us know by emailing media@britishfencing.com)

Click here for the full 2025-26 Annual Report.