Summer 2019 international match official appointments unveiled

World Rugby has announced the referee, assistant referee (AR) and television match official (TMO) appointments for the 63 confirmed men’s international matches on the road to Rugby World Cup 2019.

The appointments cover The Rugby Championship, the World Rugby Nations Cup, World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup, June internationals and Rugby World Cup 2019 warm-up matches.

All 23 of the match officials selected for Japan 2019 will be in action over a busy and important period of preparation for Rugby World Cup teams and the match officials.

Rugby Championship

Paul Williams (New Zealand), Angus Gardner (Australia), Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand), Nic Berry (Australia), Jérôme Garcès (France) and Romain Poite (France) will be taking charge of The Rugby Championship matches. Full details of these appointments are here

Experienced team

Garcès will begin Japan 2019 on 49 tests as he referees Japan versus Tonga in the Pacific Nations Cup and Australia versus New Zealand in The Rugby Championship.

The world’s most experienced international referee, Nigel Owens (Wales) will bring his overall test tally up to 89 heading into Japan 2019 after being selected for Tonga versus Canada in the Pacific Nations Cup and the Rugby World Cup 2019 warm-up between France and Scotland.

The appointments were made by the World Rugby Match Officials Selection Committee comprising Chairman Anthony Buchanan (Council member), Joel Jutge (EPCR), Lyndon Bray (SANZAAR) and Alain Rolland (World Rugby).

Team ethos and collaboration

World Rugby High Performance 15s Match Official Manager Rolland said, “With the team for Rugby World Cup 2019 selected, we are now fine-tuning match official preparation on and off the field, building the team ethos, strengthening collaboration across the group and with the off-field disciplinary team and ensuring that the group arrives at Japan 2019 in the best shape it can be.”

Nations Cup – all matches at Estadio Charrua, Montevideo, Uruguay

Tues 4 Jun 2019
Argentina XV v Namibia
Referee: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)
ARs: Francisco Gonzalez (URU) & Host Union

Uruguay v Russia
Referee: Frank Murphy (IRFU)
ARs: Francisco Gonzalez (URU) & Host Union

Sun 9 Jun 2019
Argentina XV v Russia
Referee: Francisco Gonzalez (URU)
ARs: Frank Murphy (IRFU) & Host Union

Uruguay v Namibia
Referee: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)
ARs: Frank Murphy (IRFU) & Host Union

Sat 15 Jun
Namibia v Russia
Referee: Francisco Gonzalez (URU)
ARs: Ben Whitehouse (WRU) & Host Union

Uruguay v Argentina XV
Referee: Frank Murphy (IRFU)
ARs: Ben Whitehouse (WRU) & Host Union

Pacific Nations Cup

Sat 27 Jul 2019
Japan v Fiji
Kamaishi Recovery Memorial Stadium, Japan
Referee: Luke Pearce (RFU)
ARs: Mike Adamson (SRU) & Cam Stone (NZR)
TMO: Glenn Newman (NZR)

USA v Canada
Infinity Park, Denver, CO, USA
Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU)
ARs: Ben Whitehouse (WRU) & Ludovic Cayre (FFR)
TMO: David Grashoff (RFU)

Samoa v Tonga
Apia Park, Samoa
Referee: Mike Fraser (NZR)
ARs: Nick Briant (NZR) & Kaveni Talemaivavalagi (FRU)

Sat 3 Aug 2019
Japan v Tonga
Hanazono Rugby Stadium, Hanazono, Japan
Referee: Jerome Garces (FFR)
ARs: Luke Pearce (RFU) & Brendon Pickerill (NZR)
TMO: Glenn Newman (NZR)

USA v Samoa
ANZ Stadium, Suva, Fiji
Referee: Nigel Owens (WRU)
ARs: Damon Murphy (RA) & Tevita Rokovereni (FRU)

Fiji v Canada
ANZ Stadium, Suva, Fiji
Referee: Mike Fraser (NZR)
ARs: Jordan Way (RA) & Kaveni Talemaivavalagi (FRU)

Fri 9 Aug 2019
Tonga v Canada
Churchill Park, Lautoka, Fiji
Referee: Nigel Owens (WRU)
ARs: Ben O’Keeffe (NZR) & Tevita Rokovereni (FRU)

Sat 10 Aug 2019
USA v Japan
ANZ Stadium, Suva, Fiji
Referee: Glen Jackson (NZR)
ARs: Nigel Owens (WRU) & Tevita Rokovereni (FRU)

Fiji v Samoa
ANZ Stadium, Suva, Fiji
Referee: Brendon Pickerill (NZR)
ARs: Damon Murphy (RA) & Jordan Way (RA)

Sun 2 Jun 2019
England v Barbarians
Twickenham Stadium, England
Nigel Owens (WRU)
Alex Ruiz (FFR) & Andrew Brace (IRFU)
Olly Hodges (IRFU)

T2 International matches

Sat 8 Jun 2019
Brazil v Spain
Sao Paulo, Brazil
Referee: Juan Pablo Federico (UAR)

Chile v Romania
Estadio Elias Figueroa, Valparaiso, Chile
Referee: Henrique Platais (FBR)

Sat 15 Jun 2019
Chile v Spain
Estadio La Granja, Curicó, Chile
Referee: Santiago Romero (URU)

Brazil v Romania
Sao Paulo, Brazil
Referee: Damian Schneider (UAR)

Sat 22 Jun 2019
Uruguay v Spain
Montevideo, Uruguay
Referee: Federico Anselmi (UAR)

Rugby World cup warm up matches

Fri 13 Jul 2019
Fiji v Maori All Blacks
ANZ Stadium, Suva, Fiji
Referee: Damon Murphy (RA)
ARs: Nic Berry (RA) & Jordan Way (RA)

Sat 20 July 2019
Fiji v Maori All Blacks
Auckland or Rotorua, New Zealand
Referee: Nic Berry (RA)
ARs: Damon Murphy (RA) & Jordan Way (RA)
TMO: James Leckie (RA)

Sat 10 Aug 2019
Ireland v Italy
Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland
Referee: Luke Pearce (RFU)
ARs: Tom Foley (RFU) & Mike Adamson (SRU)
TMO: Graham Hughes (RFU)

Sun 11 Aug 2019
England v Wales
Twickenham Stadium, England
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (FFR)
ARs: Pascal Gauzere (FFR) & Alex Ruiz (FFR)
TMO: Brian MacNeice (IRFU)

Sat 17 Aug 2019
Italy v Russia
Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy
Referee: Karl Dickson (RFU)
ARs: Ben Whitehouse (WRU) & Sean Gallagher (IRFU)

South Africa v Argentina
Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria, South Africa
Referee: Luke Pearce (RFU)
ARs: Andrew Brace (IRFU) & Pierre Brousset (FFR)
TMO: Simon McDowell (IRFU)

France v Scotland
Allianz Riviera, Nice, France
Referee: Nigel Owens (WRU)
ARs: Wayne Barnes (RFU) & Federico Anselmi (UAR)
TMO: Graham Hughes (RFU)

Wales v England
Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Wales
Referee: Pascal Gauzere (FFR)
ARs: Mathieu Raynal (FFR) & Alex Ruiz (FFR)
TMO: Brian MacNeice (IRFU)

Sat 24 Aug 2019
England v Ireland
Twickenham Stadium, England
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wal)
ARs: Jerome Garces (FFR) & Alex Ruiz (FFR)
TMO: Philippe Bonhourre (FFR)

Scotland v France
BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh, Scotland
Referee: Wayne Barnes (RFU)
ARs: Andrew Brace (IRFU) & Karl Dickson (RFU)
TMO: Graham Hughes (RFU)

Tues 27 Aug 2019
Georgia v S Kings
Dinamo Arena, Tbilisi, Georgia
Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU)
ARs: Frank Murphy (IRFU) & Dan Jones (WRU)
TMO: TBC

Fri 30 Aug 2019
France v Italy
Stade de France, Paris, France
Referee: Matthew Carley (RFU)
ARs: Luke Pearce (RFU) & Federico Anselmi (UAR)
TMO: Graham Hughes (RFU)

Sat 31 Aug 2019
Georgia v Scotland
Dinamo Arena, Tbilisi, Georgia
Referee: Pascal Gauzere (FFR)
ARs: Ben Whitehouse (WRU) & Pierre Brousset (FFR)
TMO: David Grashoff (RFU)

Wales v Ireland
Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Wales
Referee: Romain Poite (Fra)
ARs: Jerome Garces (FFR) & Karl Dickson (RFU)
TMO: Rowan Kitt (RFU)

Samoa v NZ Divisional XV/Heartland
Eden Park, NZ
Referee: Paul Williams (NZR)
ARs: Mike Fraser (NZR) & Brendon Pickerill (NZR)
TMO: Ben Skeen (NZR)

Fiji v Tonga
Eden Park, NZ
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (NZR)
ARs: Nick Briant (NZR) & Cam Stone (NZR)
TMO: Aaron Paterson (NZR)

Fri 6 Sep 2019
Japan v South Africa
Kumagaya Rugby Stadium, Kumagaya, Japan
Referee: Nic Berry (RA)
ARs: Ben O’Keeffe (NZR) & Graham Cooper (RA)
TMO: Shane McDermott (NZR)

Scotland v Georgia
BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh, Scotland
Referee: Romain Poite (FFR)
ARs: Andrew Brace (IRFU) & Karl Dickson (RFU)
TMO: Rowan Kitt (RFU)

England v Italy
St. James Park, Newcastle, England
Referee: Pascal Gauzere (FFR)
ARs: Matthew Carley (RFU) & Andrew Brace (IRFU)
TMO: Brian MacNeice (IRFU)

Sat 7 Sep 2019
Canada v USA
BC Place, Vancouver
Referee: Alex Ruiz (FFR)
ARs: Mike Adamson (SRU) & Sean Gallagher (IRFU)
TMO: Simon McDowell (IRFU)

New Zealand v Tonga
FMG Stadium, Hamilton, New Zealand
Referee: Angus Gardner (RA)
ARs: Damon Murphy (RA) & Jordan Way (RA)
TMO: James Leckie (RA)

Ireland v Wales
Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (FFR)
ARs: Wayne Barnes (RFU) & Luke Pearce (RFU)
TMO: Graham Hughes (RFU)

Australia v Samoa
BankWest Stadium, Sydney, Australia
Referee: Paul Williams (NZR)
ARs: Brendon Pickerill (NZR) & Cam Stone (NZR)
TMO: Ben Skeen (NZR)

The 2019 Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup referee, AR and TMO appointments are here