 Barnes was one of 12 referees selected to officiate the 2015 Rugby World Cup.On 22 December 2017, Barnes broke the all time Premiership appearances record (191) for a referee while officiating Worcester Warriors 23-8 victory over London Irish.He is set to continue his refereeing career during the 2018/19 season and has been selected as part of the 2019 World Cup Referees Panel in Japan.