World Rugby have announced the match official appointments for the 2021 British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa. The nine match tour, starting with a warm up against Japan in Scotland, will culminate with the three tests in Cape Town and Johannesburg.
They will be refereed by Nic Berry (Australia), Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand) and Mathieu Raynal (France). They will run as assistant referees for the other two tests. New Zealander, Brendon Pickerill will act as Television Match Official (TMO) for all three tests.
France’s Pascal Gauzere will kick things off at BT Murrayfield as the Lions host Japan before heading to South Africa the following week. The first match down there is on 3 July when the Emirates Lions host the tourists. With a need to maintain a bubble, the Lions tour matches will feature non-neutral appointments with Wayne Barnes (England), Jaco Peyper and AJ Jacobs (both South Africa) taking charge of the warm up and midweek matches.
British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa
British and Irish Lions v Japan
Saturday 26 June 2021, BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh
Referee: Pascal Gaüzère (FFR)
ARs: Romain Poite (FFR) & Pierre Brousset (FFR)
TMO: Eric Gauzins (FFR)
Emirates Lions v British and Irish Lions
Saturday 3 July 2021, Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg
Referee: AJ Jacobs (SARU)
ARs: Wayne Barnes (RFU) & Jaco Peyper (SARU)
TMO: Stuart Berry (SARU)
Cell C Sharks v British and Irish Lions
Wednesday 7 July 2021, Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg
Referee: Jaco Peyper (SARU)
ARs: Wayne Barnes (RFU) & AJ Jacobs (SARU)
TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (SARU)
Vodacom Bulls v British and Irish Lions
Saturday 10 July 2021, Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Referee: Wayne Barnes (RFU)
ARs: Jaco Peyper (SARU) & AJ Jacobs (SARU)
TMO: Stuart Berry (SARU)
South Africa A v British and Irish Lions
Wednesday 14 July 2021, Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
Referee: Jaco Peyper (SARU)
ARs: Wayne Barnes (RFU) & Marius van der Westhuizen (SARU)
TMO: Marius Jonker (SARU)
DHL Stormers v British and Irish Lions
Saturday 17 July 2021 – Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
Referee: Wayne Barnes (RFU)
ARs: Jaco Peyper (SARU) & AJ Jacobs (SARU)
TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (SARU)
First test: South Africa v British and Irish Lions
Saturday 24 July 2021 – Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
Referee: Nic Berry (RA)
ARs: Ben O’Keeffe (NZR) & Mathieu Raynal (FFR)
TMO: Brendon Pickerill (NZR) Marius Jonker (SARU)
Second test: South Africa v British and Irish Lions
Saturday 31 July 2021 – Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (NZR)
ARs: Nic Berry (RA) & Mathieu Raynal (FFR)
TMO: Brendon Pickerill (NZR) Marius Jonker (SARU)
Third Test: South Africa v British and Irish Lions
Saturday 7 August 2021 – Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (FFR)
ARs: Ben O’Keeffe (NZR) & Nic Berry (RA)
TMO: Brendon Pickerill (NZR) Marius Jonker (SARU)
