The reason? He will be making his Guinness Men’s Six Nations debut in the Eternal City. The 32-year-old from Montrose will be an assistant referee that day in round two of the showpiece tournament as Italy host Wales, when Matt Carley from England will be the referee and Paul Williams from New Zealand will be the other assistant.
“The Six Nations is a tournament I, like lots of other people, always loved as a fan growing up, so to now be involved professionally in the event is something special,” Grove-White, who is currently one of three full-time Scottish Rugby officials alongside Mike Adamson and Hollie Davidson, said.
“It’s one of the most recognisable tournaments in the world, not just in rugby but in sport in general, and everyone always looks forward to it after Christmas and through the whole of January.
“I remember as a youngster, Mr Watt at my school Montrose Academy always organised bus trips to Murrayfield to watch the games and there was always such a buzz heading down for a day out to watch Scotland play.
“For me, being involved as an assistant referee is another step on my professional journey that began back in 2014 and to be doing it at the amazing Stadio Olimpico is fantastic.
“Now in officiating and refereeing there are great opportunities to keep progressing if you work hard and the men’s Rugby World Cup in 2027 is something that would be good to be involved in if possible, it’s certainly a goal.”
Grove-White played rugby as a youngster at his local club in Montrose and then moved to Aberdeen to study at Robert Gordon’s University.
It was there that his officiating journey really took off and he recounts: “My uncle David Jack was a referee so maybe that’s where it came from, but I was just always keen to give it a go.
“I had Wednesdays off from classes, so that gave me a real chance to escalate my journey and I was able to get involved refereeing university games up and down the country as well as getting involved in Saturday club rugby.
“Having been a back-row as a player I guess I had always been near the referee during matches and things like that and knew what to look for at the breakdown, but there is nothing like being in charge of matches to help you learn and it was a really important period for me.
“By the time I graduated in 2014 I had been able to referee lots of different games of differing standards and was officiating in the top men’s league in Scotland by then.
“I still didn’t really imagine that refereeing would become a full-time career for me.
“However, when I graduated Tappe Henning [then match official strategy and programme leader at Scottish Rugby and now with the URC] got in touch.
“He was working hard to get more Scottish officials back at the top table in world rugby and his vision really excited me.
“As a result, I literally started with Scottish Rugby straight out of university as my refereeing journey continued to move apace and it really was exciting.
“And here we are over 10 years later and I am lucky to have had some amazing experiences and made some great friends through this job.”
Grove-White spent a number of years officiating on the World Rugby Sevens Series and that led onto him working on XVs matches all over the place in various different competitions and at international level.
He currently has made 49 URC appearances and has been lucky enough to travel the globe doing something that he loves.
“In terms of the sevens circuit, well Hong Kong is iconic and it was the first place where I refereed a tournament final so I will always remember that,” he stated.
“Vancouver was always an amazing place too, but being at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 [delayed from 2022] was a real highlight. Although there were no crowds there due to the pandemic, the officials there built up really close bonds and to be part of that global event is something I won’t forget in a hurry.
“In terms of XVs, well I have been some fascinating places such as Tbilisi in Georgia, but the highlight I think so far has been Japan.
“I went there with Hollie [Davidson, his Scottish Rugby colleague] for the men’s Pacific Nations Cup last August there and it was a fantastic tournament.
“Being in Tokyo and Kyoto for two weeks with a colleague and friend was just a brilliant experience, we were eating different food and the people were so friendly and there was such a great feel about the place.
“And I think it's one of the most important things we have in rugby is that officials from around the world have built up a great network and we love working with each other.
“We see each other a lot and we really enjoy discussing the game and the laws and we have all made some great friendships out of it.
“That is a special thing and wherever you go in the world with rugby you always meet new people and I love the job that I am doing right now.”
