Whilst South African and Southern Hemisphere referees are sitting with their feet up or bare feet in the sand at the coast this Festive Season, their Northern Hemisphere counterparts are still at work.
So where do you really want to live, in leisurely summer time in the Southern Hemisphere or in the cold gloom and doom of icy winter in the Northern Hemisphere?
Here are the referees doing duty till 29 December 2013.
International
RaboDirectPro 12
Newport Gwent Dragons vs Cardiff Blues at Rodney Parade
Referee: Ian Davies (Wales)
Assistant referees: Neil Hennessy (Wales), Jon Mason (Wales)
Television match official: Derek Bevan (Wales)
Scarlets vs Ospreys at Parc y Scarlets
Referee: Leighton Hodges (Wales)
Assistant referees: Sean Brickell (Wales), Wayne Davies (Wales)
Television match official: Tim Hayes (Wales)
Leinster vs Ulster
Referee: John Lacey (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Peter Fitzgibbon (Ireland), Olly Hodges (Ireland)
Television match official: Sean Flannery (Ireland)
Ulster vs Connacht
Referee: Dudley Phillips (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Sean Gallagher (Ireland), Eanna O’Dowd (Ireland)
Television match official: Alan Rogan (Ireland)
European Domestic Rugby
England – Aviva Premiership
Newcastle Falcons vs London Wasps
Referee: Wayne Barnes
Assistant referees: Andy Watson, Robin Goodliffe
Timekeeper: David Hudson
Television match official: Trevor Fisher
Leicester Tigers vs Sale Sharks
Referee: Matthew Carley
Assistant referees: Ashley Rowden, Peter Huckle
Timekeeper: Eric Bullion
Television match official: Rowan Kitt
Assessor: Gary Welsh
Northampton Saints vs Bath
Referee: Luke Pearce
Assistant referees: Paul Dix, Kevin Stewart
Timekeeper: Brian Abrahams
Television match official: Keith Lewis
Assessor: Tony Spreadbury
Worcester Warriors vs Saracens
Referee: Greg Garner
Assistant referees: Roger Baileff, Andrew Pearce
Timekeeper: Laurie Bryant
Television match official: Geoff Warren
Harlequins vs Exeter Chiefs
Referee: JP Doyle
Assistant referees: Stuart Terheege, Roy Maybank
Timekeeper: Bob Ockenden
Television match official: David Grashoff
Assessor: Brian Campsall
London Irish vs Gloucester
Referee: Andrew Small
Assistant referees: Nigel Carrick, Paul Burton
Timekeeper: John Burtenshaw
Television match official: Graham Hughes
Assessor: Chris White, Clive Leeke
Championship
Rotherham Titans vs Bedford Blues
Referee: Steve Lee
Assistant referees: Llyr Apgeraint-Roberts, Michael Patz
Cornish Pirates vs Plymouth Albion
Referee: Darren Gamage
Assistant referees: Fergus Kirby, Clare Daniels
Leeds Carnegie vs Nottingham
Referee: Dean Richards
Assistant referees: Darren Gamage, Jonathan Healy
Television match official: Robin Goodliffe
Assessor: Nigel Yates
Bristol vs Moseley
Referee: Tom Foley
Assistant referees: Phil Watters, Dino Maddern
Assessor: Chris White, Ashley Reay
France
Top 14, Round 15
Stade Français vs Perpignan at Stade Jean Bouin
Referee: Cyril Lafon
Assistant referees: Jérôme Garcès, Jacques De Lemos
Television match official: Laurent Valin
Bordeaux-Bègles vs Brive at Jacques Chaban-Delmas
Referee: Christophe Berdos
Assistant referees: Jérôme Lamirand, Pascal Ubeda
Television match official: Daniel Irazoqui
Clermont vs Oyonnax at Parc des Sports Marcel Michelin
Referee: Patrick Pechambert
Assistant referees: Flavien Hourquet, Jean-Luc Rebollal
Television match official: Eric Gauzins
Grenoble vs Castres at Stade Des Alpes
Referee: Salem Attalah
Assistant referees: Arnaud Blondel, Bruno Gabaldon
Television match official: Gilles Cogne
Montpellier vs Biarritz at Stade Yves du Manoir
Referee: Laurent Cardona
Assistant referees: Cédric Marchat, Sébastien Hebert
Television match official: Daniel Gillet
Bayonne vs Toulouse at Stade Jean Dauger
Referee: Sébastien Clouté
Assistant referees: Nicolas Datas, Thomas Dejean
Television match official: Philippe Bonhoure
Racing-Métro vs Toulon at Stade Yves du Manoir
Referee: Alexandre Ruiz
Assistant referees: Maxime Chalon, Thierry Le Grand
Television match official: Jean-Pierre Pellaprat
Wales
Premiership
Neath vs Aberavon
Referee: Rhys Thomas
Assistant referees: Greg Morgan, Justin Williams
Pontypridd vs Cardiff
Referee: Nigel Owens
Assistant referees: Simon Rees, Ben Whitehouse
Bridgend vs Bedwas
Referee: Daniel Jones
Assistant referees: Neil Perkins, Morgan Whitehead
Llandovery vs Carmarthen
Referee: Gwyn Morris
Assistant referees: Craig Evans, Jason Griffiths
Newport vs Cross Keys
Referee: Simon Rees
Assistant referees: Kelvin Shorte, Simon Wycherley
Swansea vs Llanelli
Referee: Chris Williams
Assistant referees: Jason Langdon, Jon Fairhurst