World Rugby have announced the referees, assistant referees (ARs) and television match officials (TMO) for the 2020 Guinness Six Nations.
The tournament kicks off in Cardiff on 1 February with recent World Cup debutant, Luke Pearce getting proceedings underway as Wales host Italy. There are no real surprises on the refereeing front with only the expected absentee, Jerome Garces who retired after the final. Some others who had possibly suggested retirement isn’t far away haven’t yet made those decisions. Nigel Owens, Wayne Barnes and Romain Poite may not make 2023, but all three feature in 2020. Matthew Carley returns to refereeing duties after ARing in Japan, and Andrew Brace will make his Six Nations debut when France play Italy. All the other RWC referees will feature this time around. Ben O’Keefe from New Zealand and France’s Pascal Gauzere are the only two to get two matches.
Maye with an eye to the future, some new ARs appear in Six Nations action for the first time – Mike Adamson becomes the first Scot to be appointed for some time, Frank Murphy from Ireland also debuts, Mike Frazer from New Zealand and Ben Whitehouse also join the mix.
On the TMO front, one, perhaps, expected name – Ben Skeen – is missing as he returns to his teaching career after some sixty-odd World Rugby TMO appointments over two Rugby World Cup cycles. He is replaced from New Zealand by Glenn Newman who returns to the Six Nations list, and James Leckie from Australia is a new name to some, although has featured in Super Rugby as a referee, AR and now TMO for many years. Brian MacNeice from Ireland is also a newer name to TMO pool, joining World Cup TMOs, Graham Hughes, Rowan Kitt and Marius Jonker for this tournament.
2020 Guinness Six Nations referee, AR & TMO appointments
Sat 1 Feb 2020
Wales v Italy
Referee: Luke Pearce (RFU)
ARs: Matthew Carley (RFU) & Mike Fraser (NZRU)
TMO: James Leckie (RA)
Ireland v Scotland
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (FFR)
ARs: Pascal Gauzere (FFR) & Federico Anselmi (UAR)
TMO: Glenn Newman (NZR)
Sun 2 Feb 2020
France v England
Referee: Nigel Owens (WRU)
ARs: Andrew Brace (IRFU) & Brendon Pickerill (NZR)
TMO: Brian MacNeice (IRFU)
Sat 8 Feb 2020
Ireland v Wales
Referee: Romain Poite (FFR)
ARs: Luke Pearce (RFU) & Mike Fraser (NZR)
TMO: Glenn Newman (NZR)
Scotland v England
Referee: Pascal Gauzere (FFR)
ARs: Mathieu Raynal (FFR) & Federico Anselmi (UAR)
TMO: James Leckie (RA)
Sun 9 Feb 2020
France v Italy
Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU)
ARs: Nigel Owens (WRU) & Brendon Pickerill (NZR)
TMO: Brian MacNeice (IRFU)
Sat 22 Feb 2020
Italy v Scotland
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (NZR)
ARs: Mathieu Raynal (FFR) & Ben Whitehouse (WRU)
TMO: Rowan Kitt (RFU)
Wales v France
Referee: Matthew Carley (RFU)
ARs: Wayne Barnes (RFU) & Karl Dickson (RFU)
TMO: Graham Hughes (RFU)
Sun 23 Feb 2020
England v Ireland
Referee: Jaco Peyper (SARU)
ARs: Romain Poite (FFR) & Alex Ruiz (FFR)
TMO: Marius Jonker (SARU)
Sat 7 Mar 2020
Ireland v Italy
Referee: Nic Berry (RA)
ARs: Angus Gardner (RA) & Karl Dickson (RFU)
TMO: Graham Hughes (RFU)
England v Wales
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (NZR)
ARs: Romain Poite (FFR) & Alex Ruiz (FFR)
TMO: Marius Jonker (SARU)
Sun 8 Mar 2020
Scotland v France
Referee: Paul Williams (NZR)
ARs: Wayne Barnes (RFU) & Frank Murphy (IRFU)
TMO: Brian MacNeice (IRFU)
Sat 14 Mar 2020
Wales v Scotland
Referee: Angus Gardner (RA)
ARs: Luke Pearce (RFU) & Karl Dickson (RFU)
TMO: Rowan Kitt (RFU)
Sat 14 Mar 2020
Italy v England – Postponed
Referee: Pascal Gauzere (FFR)
ARs: Andrew Brace (IRFU) & Alex Ruiz (FFR)
TMO: Brian MacNeice (IRFU)
France v Ireland – Postponed
Referee: Wayne Barnes (RFU)
ARs: Paul Williams (NZR) & Mike Adamson (SRU)
TMO: Marius Jonker (SARU)
