World Rugby have unveiled the referee, AR and TMO appointments for the 40 pool games of the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
It was also confirmed that the shot clock and foul play review (bunker) process will, as expected, operate, after positive initial trials.
The match official team represents nine nations and has more than 700 Test appearances between them. All 12 referees have at least three games with a few having four.
Joel Jutge, World Rugby’s high performance 15s match official manager, said, “The journey to Rugby World Cup is never easy for match officials. There are fewer roles in sport with as much public scrutiny, but I am proud of how the team has responded to the ups and downs, always being open and acting with integrity.
“We arrive at the pool phase having worked incredibly hard. We have a strong bond, a superb work ethic and an unwavering spirit. There is respect and understanding between the officials and the teams and we are now focused on playing our part in what promises to be a very special Rugby World Cup 2023.”
The list below has them by match, but also then below that shows the refs for each team in each pool.
Rugby World Cup 2023 pool stage match officials
Round 1
France v New Zealand – Pool A
Referee: Jaco Peyper (SA)
ARs: Karl Dickson (Eng) & Christophe Ridley (Eng)
TMO: Tom Foley (Eng)
Italy v Namibia – Pool A
Referee: Andrew Brace (Ire)
ARs: Paul Williams (NZ) & Chris Busby (Ire)
TMO: Joy Neville (Ire)
Ireland v Romania – Pool B
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Geo)
ARs: Wayne Barnes (Eng) & Andrea Piardi (Ita)
TMO: Brendon Pickerill (NZ)
Australia v Georgia – Pool C
Referee: Luke Pearce (Eng)
ARs: James Doleman (NZ) & Craig Evans (Wal)
TMO: Brian MacNeice (Ire)
England v Argentina – Pool D
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (Fra)
ARs: Ben O’Keeffe (NZ) & Pierre Brousset (Fra)
TMO: Marius Jonker (SA)
Japan v Chile – Pool D
Referee: Nic Berry (Aus)
ARs: Karl Dickson (Eng) & Andrea Piardi (Ita)
TMO: Tom Foley (Eng)
South Africa v Scotland – Pool B
Referee: Angus Gardner (Aus)
ARs: Nika Amashukeli (Geo) & Jordan Way (Aus)
TMO: Ben Whitehouse (Wal)
Wales v Fiji – Pool C
Referee: Matthew Carley (Eng)
ARs: Wayne Barnes (Eng) & Christophe Ridley (Eng)
TMO: Brian MacNeice (Ire)
Round 2
France v Uruguay – Pool A
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (NZ)
ARs: Paul Williams (NZ) & James Doleman (NZ)
TMO: Ben Whitehouse (Wal)
New Zealand v Namibia – Pool A
Referee: Luke Pearce (Eng)
ARs: Andrew Brace (Ire) & Jordan Way (Aus)
TMO: Brian MacNeice (Ire)
Samoa v Chile – Pool D
Referee: Paul Williams (NZ)
ARs: Angus Gardner & James Doleman (NZ)
TMO: Brett Cronan (Aus)
Wales v Portugal – Pool C
Referee: Karl Dickson (Eng)
ARs: Luke Pearce (Eng) & Andrea Piardi (Ita)
TMO: Marius Jonker (SA)
Ireland v Tonga – Pool B
Referee: Wayne Barnes (Eng)
ARs: Matthew Carley (Eng) & Craig Evans (Wal)
TMO: Tom Foley (Eng)
South Africa v Romania – Pool B
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (Fra)
ARs: Angus Gardner (Aus) & Pierre Brousset (Fra)
TMO: Brett Cronan (Aus)
Australia v Fiji – Pool C
Referee: Andrew Brace (Ire)
ARs: Jaco Peyper (SA) & Chris Busby (Ire)
TMO: Brian MacNeice (Ire)
England v Japan – Pool D
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Geo)
ARs: Nic Berry (Aus) & Andrea Piardi (Ita)
TMO: Joy Neville (Ire)
Round 3
Italy v Uruguay – Pool A
Referee: Angus Gardner (Aus)
ARs: Andrew Brace (Ire) & Jordan Way (Aus)
TMO: Tom Foley (Eng)
France v Namibia – Pool A
Referee: Matthew Carley (Eng)
ARs: Andrew Brace (Ire) & Craig Evans (Wal)
TMO: Joy Neville (Ire)
Argentina v Samoa – Pool D
Referee: Nic Berry (Aus)
ARs: Nika Amashukeli (Geo) & Jordan Way (Aus)
TMO: Brett Cronan (Aus)
Georgia v Portugal – Pool C
Referee: Paul Williams (NZ)
ARs: Matthew Carley (Eng) & Chris Busby (Ire)
TMO: Joy Neville (Ire)
England v Chile – Pool D
Referee: Jaco Peyper (SA)
ARs: Pierre Brousset (Fra) & Andrea Piardi (Ita)
TMO: Marius Jonker (SA)
South Africa v Ireland – Pool B
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (NZ)
ARs: Mathieu Raynal (Fra) & James Doleman (NZ)
TMO: Brendon Pickerill (NZ)
Scotland v Tonga – Pool B
Referee: Karl Dickson (Eng)
ARs: Nika Amashukeli (Geo) & Craig Evans (Wal)
TMO: Ben Whitehouse (Wal)
Wales v Australia – Pool C
Referee: Wayne Barnes (Eng)
ARs: Luke Pearce (Eng) & Christophe Ridley (Eng)
TMO: Tom Foley (Eng)
Round 4
Uruguay v Namibia – Pool A
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (Fra)
ARs: Nic Berry (Aus) & Chris Busby (Ire)
TMO: Ben Whitehouse (Wal)
Japan v Samoa – Pool D
Referee: Jaco Peyper (SA)
ARs: Ben O’Keeffe (NZ) & Craig Evans (Wal)
TMO: Marius Jonker (SA)
New Zealand v Italy – Pool A
Referee: Matthew Carley (Eng)
ARs: Nic Berry (Aus) & Christophe Ridley (Eng)
TMO: Brett Cronan (Aus)
Argentina v Chile – Pool D
Referee: Paul Williams (NZ)
ARs: Angus Gardner (Aus) & James Doleman (NZ)
TMO: Ben Whitehouse (Wal)
Fiji v Georgia – Pool C
Referee: Karl Dickson (Eng)
ARs: Jaco Peyper (SA) & Pierre Brousset (Fra)
TMO: Tom Foley (Eng)
Scotland v Romania – Pool B
Referee: Wayne Barnes (Eng)
ARs: Andrew Brace (Ire) & Chris Busby (Ire)
TMO: Brendon Pickerill (NZ)
Australia v Portugal – Pool C
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Geo)
ARs: Mathieu Raynal (Fra) & Andrea Piardi (Ita)
TMO: Joy Neville (Ire)
South Africa v Tonga – Pool B
Referee: Luke Pearce (Eng)
ARs: Matthew Carley (Eng) & Christophe Ridley (Eng)
TMO: Brett Cronan (Aus)
Round 5
New Zealand v Uruguay – Pool A
Referee: Wayne Barnes (Eng)
ARs: Matthew Carley (Eng) & Jordan Way (Aus)
TMO: Marius Jonker (SA)
France v Italy – Pool A
Referee: Karl Dickson (Eng)
ARs: Luke Pearce (Eng) & Craig Evans (Wal)
TMO: Marius Jonker (SA)
Wales v Georgia – Pool C
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (Fra)
ARs: Ben O’Keeffe (NZ) & Pierre Brousset (Fra)
TMO: Brendon Pickerill (NZ)
England v Samoa – Pool D
Referee: Andrew Brace (Ire)
ARs: Nika Amashukeli (Geo) & Chris Busby (Ire)
TMO: Brian MacNeice (Ire)
Ireland v Scotland – Pool B
Referee: Nic Berry (Aus)
ARs: Wayne Barnes (Eng) & Jordan Way (Aus)
TMO: Brett Cronan (Aus)
Japan v Argentina – Pool D
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (NZ)
ARs: Paul Williams (NZ) & James Doleman (NZ)
TMO: Brendon Pickerill (NZ)
Tonga v Romania – Pool B
Referee: Angus Gardner (Aus)
ARs: Mathieu Raynal (Fra) & Christophe Ridley (Eng)
TMO: Brian MacNeice (Ire)
Fiji v Portugal – Pool C
Referee: Luke Pearce (Eng)
ARs: Jaco Peyper (SA) & Pierre Brousset (Fra)
TMO: Ben Whitehouse (Wal)
Pool games: Referees by team
POOL A
New Zealand: Jaco Peyper, SARU (vs France, Sept 8); Luke Pearce, RFU (vs Namibia, Sept 15); Matthew Carley, RFU (vs Italy, Sept 29); Wayne Barnes, RFU (vs Uruguay, Oct 5).
France: Jaco Peyper, SARU (vs New Zealand, Sept 8); Ben O’Keeffe, NZR (vs Uruguay, Sept 14); Matthew Carley, RFU (vs Namibia, Sept 21); Karl Dickson, RFU (vs Italy, Oct 6).
Italy: Andrew Brace, IRFU (vs Namibia, Sept 9); Angus Gardner, RA (vs Uruguay, Sept 20); Matthew Carley, RFU (vs New Zealand, Sept 29); Karl Dickson, RFU (vs France, Oct 6).
Namibia: Andrew Brace, IRFU (vs Italy, Sept 9); Luke Pearce, RFU (vs New Zealand, Sept 15); Matthew Carley, RFU (vs France, Sept 21); Mathieu Raynal, FFR (vs Uruguay, Sept 27).
Uruguay: Ben O’Keeffe, NZR (vs France, Sept 14); Angus Gardner, RA (vs Italy, Sept 20); Mathieu Raynal, FFR (vs Namibia, Sept 27); Wayne Barnes, RFU (vs New Zealand, Oct 5).
POOL B
South Africa: Angus Gardner, RA (vs Scotland, Sept 10); Mathieu Raynal, FFR (vs Romania, Sept 17); Ben O’Keeffe, NZR (vs Ireland, Sept 23); Luke Pearce, RFU (vs Tonga, Oct 1).
Ireland: Nika Amashukeli, GRU (vs Romania, Sept 9); Wayne Barnes, RFU (vs Tonga, Sept 16); Ben O’Keeffe, NZR (vs South Africa, Sept 23); Nic Berry, RA (vs Scotland, Oct 7).
Scotland: Angus Gardner, RA (vs South Africa, Sept 10); Karl Dickson, RFU (vs Tonga, Sept 24); Wayne Barnes, RFU (vs Romania, Sept 30); Nic Berry, RA (vs Ireland, Oct 7).
Tonga: Wayne Barnes, RFU (vs Ireland, Sept 16); Karl Dickson, RFU (vs Scotland, Sept 24); Luke Pearce, RFU (vs South Africa, Oct 1); Angus Gardner, RA (vs Romania, Oct 8).
Romania: Nika Amashukeli, GRU (vs Ireland, Sept 9); Mathieu Raynal, FFR (vs South Africa, Sept 17); Wayne Barnes, RFU (vs Scotland, Sept 30); Angus Gardner, RA (vs Tonga, Oct 8).
POOL C
Wales: Matthew Carley, RFU (vs Fiji, Sept 10); Karl Dickson, RFU (vs Portugal, Sept 16); Wayne Barnes, RFU (vs Australia, Sept 24); Mathieu Raynal, FFR (vs Georgia, Oct 7).
Australia: Luke Pearce, RFU (vs Georgia, Sept 9); Andrew Brace, IRFU (vs Fiji, Sept 17); Wayne Barnes, RFU (vs Wales, Sept 24); Nika Amashukeli, GRU (vs Portugal, Oct 1);
Fiji: Matthew Carley, RFU (vs Wales, Sept 10); Andrew Brace, IRFU (vs Australia, Sept 17); Karl Dickson, RFU (vs Georgia, Sept 30); Luke Pearce, RFU (vs Portugal, Oct 8).
Georgia: Luke Pearce, RFU (vs Australia, Sept 9); Paul Williams, NZR (vs Portugal, Sept 23); Karl Dickson, RFU (vs Fiji, Sept 30); Mathieu Raynal, FFR (vs Wales, Oct 7).
Portugal: Karl Dickson, RFU (vs Wales, Sept 16); Paul Williams, NZR (vs Georgia, Sept 23); Nika Amashukeli, GRU (vs Australia, Oct 1); Luke Pearce, RFU (vs Fiji, Oct 8).
POOL D
England: Mathieu Raynal, FFR (vs Argentina, Sept 9); Nika Amashukeli, GEO (vs Japan, Sept 17); Jaco Peyper, RSA (vs Chile, Sept 23); Andrew Brace, RFU (vs Samoa, Oct 7).
Japan: Nic Berry, RA (vs Chile, Sept 10); Nika Amashukeli, GEO (vs England, Sept 17); Jaco Peyper, RSA (vs Samoa, Sept 28); Ben O’Keeffe, NZR (vs Argentina, Oct 8).
Argentina: Mathieu Raynal, FFR (vs England, Sept 9); Nic Berry, RA (vs Samoa, Sept 21); Paul Williams, NZR (vs Chile, Sept 30); Ben O’Keeffe, NZR (vs Japan, Oct 8).
Samoa: Paul Williams, NZR (vs Chile, Sept 16); Nic Berry, RA (vs Argentina, Sept 21); Jaco Peyper, RSA (vs Japan, Sept 28); Andrew Brace, IRFU (vs England, Oct 7).
Chile: Nic Berry, RA (vs Japan, Sept 10); Paul Williams, NZR (vs Samoa, Sept 16); Jaco Peyper, RSA (vs England, Sept 23); Paul Williams, NZR (vs Argentina, Sept 30).
