World Rugby have announced the match official appointments for the 45 men’s autumn internationals which kick off at the end of October and go through November and December.
With Rugby World Cup 2019 less than a year away, the matches provide important preparation for teams and match officials alike, and match official performances over the period will be taken into account when the World Rugby Match Officials Selection Committee meets to select the team for rugby’s showcase event.
Revised TMO protocol
Selections have been made for the tier one hosted tests that will feature the revised Television Match Official trial; the all-important Rugby World Cup 2019 repechage in Marseille that will confirm the 20th and final team; and key World Rugby-supported fixtures within an unprecedented programme of November fixtures.
The New Zealander Brendon Pickerill (pic right) gets a busy programme underway on 26 October when he takes charge of Japan’s match against a World XV in Hanazono, while Wayne Barnes will referee Ireland versus New Zealand in Dublin on 17 November – a match that sees the current top two ranked teams go head-to-head.
Rookies v experienced
In other matches, recently-turned-pro-referee, Karl Dickson (RFU) will make his senior international debut when he referees Georgia versus Samoa in Tbilisi. Rasta Rasevenge also features, as he develops from a 7s specialist into the 15s game. The South African will be in Krasnador in NOvember as Russia host Namibia.
At the other end of the scale, experienced referees, Wayne Barnes (RFU), Pascal Gauzere (FFR), Jaco Peyper (SARU), Angus Gardner (Rugby Australia), Romain Poite (FFR) and Luke Pearce (RFU) will take charge of the Rugby World Cup 2019 repechage matches in Marseille. Not for the first time, some female match officials will be involved in these fixtures too, as Sara Cox and Joy Neville are appointed to AR duties.
Training camp
On the road to Rugby World Cup 2019, the match officials will gather in London for a preparation camp prior to the November tests. This will be the second World Rugby-hosted camp, where the officials can align and calibrate approach as a group and also with team coaches.
World Rugby Match Officials Selection Committee Chair, Wales’ Anthony Buchanan, (pic left) said, “There is less than a year to go until Rugby World Cup and, like the teams, we are a focused on arriving at Japan 2019 with a team of match officials who are in the form of their lives from a performance, fitness and mindset perspective.
“We have a very talented group to choose from. They work exceptionally well together behind the scenes to strive for the collective goal of clear, accurate and consistent decision-making, and that has been very evident both in the camps that we have hosted and recent performances on the field.
“This November selection provides another opportunity to assess performance in a high-intensity team camp environment that is not dissimilar to a Rugby World Cup which will further inform us as to who is in the frame for RWC 2019.”
Alain Rolland, the World Rugby High Performance 15s Match Officials Manager added, “The match official appointment process identifies and rewards the top performing match officials and all performances are thoroughly reviewed to ensure clear and consistent decision-making across the group.
“As a part of the process, we also hold regular consultation with team coaches, including participation in our preparation camps where we achieve alignment on focus areas. This approach is valued by both the match officials and coaches alike.”
AUTUMN INTERNATIONALS
Japan v World XV
26 Oct 2018, Hanazono Rugby Stadium, Osaka, Japan
Referee: Brendon Pickerill (New Zealand)
ARs: Mike Fraser (New Zealand) & Damon Murphy (Australia)
TMO: Aaron Paterson (New Zealand)
Japan v New Zealand
3 Nov 2018, 2.45pm, Ajinomoto Stadium, Tokyo, Japan
Referee: Matthew Carley (England)
ARs: Damon Murphy (Australia) & Graham Cooper (Australia)
TMO: Damien Mitchelmore (Australia)
USA v Maori All Blacks
Soldier Field, Chicago, USA, 3 Nov 2018, 5.15pm
Referee: Karl Dickson (England)
ARs: Alexandre Ruiz (France) & Chris Assmus (Canada)
TMO: TBC
Wales v Scotland
Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Wales, 3 Nov 2018 2.45pm
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France)
ARs: Wayne Barnes (England) & Frank Murphy (Ireland)
TMO: Rowan Kitt (England)
England v South Africa
Twickenham Stadium, England, 3 Nov 2018, 3.00pm
Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)
ARs: Jérôme Garcès (France) & Brendon Pickerill (New Zealand)
TMO: Olly Hodges (Ireland)
Ireland v Italy
Soldier Field, Chicago, USA, 3 Nov 2018, 3.00pm
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
ARs: Romain Poite (France) & Alexandre Ruiz (France)
TMO: David Ardrey (USA)
French Barbarians v Tonga
Stade Chaban-Delmas, Bordeaux, France, 10 Nov 2018, 4.00pm
Referee: Dan Jones (Wales)
ARs: Mike Adamson (Scotland) & Craig Evans (Wales)
TMO: Brian MacNeice (Ireland)
Brazil v Maori All Blacks
Estadio Cicero Pompeu de Toledo, Sao Paolo, Brazil, 10 Nov 2018, 7.00pm
Referee: Federico Anselmi (Argentina)
ARs: Joaquin Montes (Uruguay) & Francisco Gonzalez (Uruguay)
TMO: Santiago Borsani (Argentina)
Italy v Georgia
Stadio Artemio Franchi, Florence, Italy, 10 Nov 2018, 2.00pm
Referee: Glen Jackson (New Zealand)
ARs: Frank Murphy (Ireland) & Shuhei Kubo (Japan)
TMO: Graham Hughes (England)
USA v Samoa
Aoeta Stadium, San Sebastian, Spain, 10 Nov 2018, 6.30pm
Referee: Alexandre Ruiz (France)
ARs: Pierre Brousset (France) & Inigo Atorrasagasti (Spain)
TMO: Philippe Bonhoure (France)
Russia v Namibia
Kuban Stadium, Krasnodar, Russia, 10 Nov 2018
Referee: Rasta Rasivhenge (South Africa)
ARs: Craig Maxwell-Keys (England) & Sean Gallagher (Ireland)
TMO: TBC
Scotland v Fiji
BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh, Scotland
10 Nov 2018, 2.30pm
Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland)
ARs: Luke Pearce (England) & Karl Dickson (England)
TMO: Ben Skeen (New Zealand)
England v New Zealand
Twickenham Stadium, England – 10 Nov 2018, 3.00pm
Referee: Jérôme Garcès (France)
ARs: Jaco Peyper (South Africa) & Marius Mitrea (Italy)
TMO: Marius Jonker (South Africa)
Wales v Australia
Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Wales, 10 Nov 2018, 5.20pm
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand)
ARs: Romain Poite (France) & Brendon Pickerill (New Zealand)
TMO: Simon McDowell (Ireland)
Ireland v Argentina
Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland, 10 Nov 2018, 6.30pm
Referee: Nic Berry (Australia)
ARs: Angus Gardner (Australia) & Ludovic Cayre (France)
TMO: David Grashoff (England)
France v South Africa
Stade de France, Paris, France, 10 Nov 2018, 9.05pm
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
ARs: Matthew Carley (England) & Tom Foley (England)
TMO: Rowan Kitt (England)
Romania v USA
Bucharest, Romania, 17 Nov 2018, 2.00pm
Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys (England)
ARs: Ian Tempest (England) & Christophe Ridley (England)
TMO: Andrew McMenemy (Scotland)
Georgia v Samoa
Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, Tbilisi, Georgia, 17 Nov 2018, 6.00pm
Referee: Karl Dickson (England)
ARs: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)
& Sam Grove-White (Scotland)
TMO: Brian MacNeice (Ireland)
Italy v Australia
Stadio Euganeo, Padua, Italy, 17 Nov 2018, 2.00pm
Referee: Pascal Gauzere (France)
ARs: Andrew Brace (Ireland)
& Mike Adamson (Scotland)
TMO: Simon McDowell (Ireland)
Spain v Namibia
Estadio Central Ciudad Universitaria, Madrid, Spain, 17 Nov 2018,3.45pm
Referee: Pierre Brousset (France)
ARs: Alexandre Ruiz (France) & Ludovic Cayre (France)
TMO: Stefano Penne (Italy)
Uruguay v Fiji
Hartpury College, Gloucester, England, 17 Nov 2018, 1.00pm
Referee: Tom Foley (England)
ARs: Rasta Rasivhenge (South Africa) & Craig Evans (Wales)
TMO: TBC
Wales v Tonga
Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Wales, 17 Nov 2018, 2.30pm
Referee: Nic Berry (Australia)
ARs: Angus Gardner (Australia) & Shuhei Kubo (Japan)
TMO: Olly Hodges (Ireland)
England v Japan
Twickenham Stadium, England, 17 Nov 2018, 3.00pm
Referee: Paul Williams (New Zealand)
ARs: Nigel Owens (Wales) & Dan Jones (Wales)
TMO: Marius Jonker (South Africa)
Scotland v South Africa
BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh, Scotland, 17 Nov 2018, 5.20pm
Referee: Romain Poite (France)
ARs: Ben O’Keeffe (New Zeland) & Frank Murphy (Ireland)
TMO: Ben Skeen (New Zealand)
Ireland v New Zealand
Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland, 17 Nov 2018, 7.00pm
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
ARs: Mathieu Raynal (France) & Marius Mitrea (Italy)
TMO: Rowan Kitt (England)
France v Argentina
Stade Pierre Mauroy, Lille, France, 17 Nov 2018, 9.05pm
Referee: Glen Jackson (New Zealand)
ARs: Matthew Carley (England) & Ian Davies (Wales)
TMO: David Grashoff (England)
Chile v Maori All Blacks
Estadio San Carlos de Apoquindo, Santiago, Chile, 17 Nov 2018
Referee: Pablo Deluca (Argentina)
ARs: Joaquin Montes (Uruguay) & Francisco Gonzalez (Uruguay)
TMO: Santiago Borsani (Argentina)
Spain v Samoa
Estadio Central Ciudad Universitaria, Madrid, Spain, 24 Nov 2018, 3.45pm
Referee: Frank Murphy (Ireland)
ARs: Ian Tempest (England) & Sam Grove-White (Scotland)
TMO: Stefano Penne (Italy)
Georgia v Tonga
Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, Tbilisi Georgia, 24 Nov 2018, 6.00pm
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France)
ARs: Pierre Brousset (France) & Thomas Charabas (France)
TMO: Eric Gauzins (France)
Italy v New Zealand
Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy, 24 Nov 2018, 2.00pm
Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland)
ARs: Pascal Gauzere (France) & Sean Gallagher (Ireland)
TMO: Andrew McMenemy (Scotland)
Scotland v Argentina
BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh, Scotland, 24 Nov 2018, 2.30pm
Referee: Paul Williams (New Zealand)
ARs: Nigel Owens (Wales) & Dan Jones (Wales)
TMO: Olly Hodges (Ireland)
England v Australia
Twickenham Stadium, England, 24 Nov 2018, 3.00pm
Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)
ARs: Glen Jackson (New Zealand) & Alexandre Ruiz (France)
TMO: Marius Jonker (South Africa)
Wales v South Africa
Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Wales, 24 Nov 2018, 5.20pm
Referee: Luke Pearce (England)
ARs: Wayne Barnes (England) & Karl Dickson (England)
TMO: Simon McDowell (Ireland)
Ireland v USA
Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland, 24 Nov 2018, 6.30pm
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (New Zelaand)
ARs: Nic Berry (Australia) & Marius Mitrea (Italy)
TMO: Ian Davies (Wales)
France v Fiji
Stade de France, Paris, France, 24 Nov 2018, 9.05pm
Referee: Matthew Carley (England)
ARs: Tom Foley (England) & Shuhei Kubo (Japan)
TMO: Rowan Kitt (England)
Japan v Russia
Kingsholm, Gloucester, England, 24 Nov 2018, 2.05pm
Referee: Jérôme Garcès (France)
ARs: Ludovic Cayre (France) & Nika Amashukeli (Georgia)
TMO: TBC
Portugal v Namibia
Stadium Sergio Conceicao, Coimbra, Portugal, 24 Nov 2018, 3.00pm
Referee: Mike Adamson (Scotland)
ARs: Ben Blain (Scotland) & Keith Allen (Scotland)
TMO: TBC
Romania v Uruguay
Stadionul Steau Bucaresti, Bucharest, Romania, 24 Nov 2018, 2.00pm
Referee: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)
ARs: Craig Maxwell-Keys (England) & Andrea Piardi (Italy)
TMO: Brian MacNeice (Ireland)
Barbarians v Argentina
Twickenham Stadium, England, 1 Dec 2018, 2.30pm
Referee: John Lacey (Ireland)
ARs: Andrew Brace (Ireland) & Ben Whitehouse (Wales)
TMO: Andrew McMenemy (Scotland)
Rugby World Cup Repecharge
Canada v Kenya
Stade Delort, Marseille, France, 11 Nov 2018, 1.00pm
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
ARs: JP Doyle (England) & Joy Neville (Ireland)
TMO: Olly Hodges (Ireland)
Hong Kong v Germany
Stade Delort, Marseille, France, 11 Nov 2018, 4.00pm
Referee: Pascal Gauzere (France)
ARs: George Clancy (Ireland) & Sara Cox (England)
TMO: Olly Hodges (Ireland)
Hong Kong v Kenya
Stade Delort, Marseille, France
17 Nov 2018, 1.00pm
Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)
ARs: George Clancy (Ireland) & Thomas Charabas (France)
TMO: Graham Hughes (England)
Canada v Germany
Stade Delort, Marseille, France, 17 Nov 2018, 4.00pm
Referee: Luke Pearce (England)
ARs: JP Doyle (England) & Sean Gallagher (Ireland)
TMO: Graham Hughes (England)
Kenya v Germany
Stade Delort, Marseille, France, 23 Nov 2018, 6.00pm
Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)
ARs: George Clancy (Ireland) & Sara Cox (England)
TMO: David Grashoff (England)
Hong Kong v Canada
Stade Delort, Marseille, France, 23 Nov 2018 9.00pm
Referee: Romain Poite (France)
ARs: JP Doyle (England) & Joy Neville (Ireland)
TMO: David Grashoff (England)
