Autumn international referee, AR & TMO appointments announced

• Thirty referees will take charge of 41 men’s international matches
• Thirteen nations are represented among the 64 officials involved
• Debut Tests for Jérémy Rozier (Fra), Reuben Keane (Aus) and Saba Abulashvili (Geo)
• Seven of the 2024 Olympic refs panel feature in the XVs with Jordan Way (Aus), Rozier, Keane, Morné Ferreira (SA), Adam Leal (Eng), Gianluca Gnecchi (Ita) & George Selwood (Eng)
• Takehito Namekawa and Katsuki Furuse (both Japan) handed appointments after refereeing the finals of the World Rugby U20 Championship and U20 Trophy respectively in July

World Rugby have unveiled the match officials for the men’s November 2024 international window. There’s 64 officials from 13 nations, with 30 different referees who will take charge of the 36 test matches and five other matches in the window.

Jordan Way (Australia) will take charge of the first match in the window, between Japan and New Zealand in Yokohama on 26 October, with Andrea Piardi (Italy) wrapping things up on 30 November when Ireland host Australia in Dublin.

Craig Evans (Wales), Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand), Sam Grove-White (Scotland), Luc Ramos (France), Christophe Ridley (England) and Hollie Davidson (Scotland) will all take charge of two test matches in this window.

In terms of the newcomers, Keane will take charge of Hong Kong China v Brazil; Rozier referee the Netherlands v Chile a week later and then Abulashvili will whistle Spain v USA. Rozier missed the World Rugby U20 Championship 2024 through injury, but eight members of that referee panel have appointments in November. Morgan White from Hong Kong China refereed at the u20 Trophy in the summer and will now feature as an AR in the window.

Brett Robinson, chair of the Men’s Emirates World Rugby High Performance Match Officials Selectors (pic right) said, “As we build towards Rugby World Cup 2031 in the USA via an expanded Rugby World Cup 2027 in Australia and the new Nations Cup, we continue to be focused on developing a broader team of match officials. With a new match officiating strategy and high-performance system, deeper collaboration across unions and competitions, the evolution is reflected in this selection. Congratulations to all.”

World Rugby High Performance 15s Match Official Manager Joël Jutge added, “Throughout 2024 we have been focusing on resetting the relationship with coaches, embedding a new performance structure and driving clarity across the game.

“With law amendments, law trials and a revised Television Match Official process to contend with, I am proud of how the team has responded. November is the next step for us to give experience to a wider team with an eye on Rugby World Cup 2031 in the USA.”

The Autumn Nations Series is run by Six Nations Rugby who will confirmation if they wish to seek to use any of the law trials during the window after discussion with the Unions invovled. The host Unions of other matches will also decide in the coming weeks.

Appointments

Sat 26 Oct 2024

Japan v New Zealand
Referee: Jordan Way (Aus)
ARs: Nic Berry (Aus) & Reuben Keane (Aus)
TMO: Damon Murphy (Aus)

Sat 2 Nov 2024

England v New Zealand
Referee: Angus Gardner (Aus)
ARs: Pierre Brousset (Fra) & Jordan Way (Aus)
TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (SA)

Scotland v Fiji
Referee: Craig Evans (Wal)
ARs: Christophe Ridley (Eng) & Luc Ramos (Fra)
TMO: Brett Cronan (Aus)

Munster v All Blacks A
Referee: Takehito Namekawa (Jpn)
ARs: Matthew Carley (Eng) & Antony Woodthorpe (Eng)
TMO: Damon Murphy (Aus)

8-10 Nov 2024

Bristol v Australia XV
Referee: Craig Evans (Wal)
ARs: Sara Cox (Eng) & George Selwood (Eng)
TMO: Dan Jones (Eng)

Ireland v New Zealand
Referee: Nic Berry (Aus)
ARs: Karl Dickson (Eng) & Andrea Piardi (Ita)
TMO: Brett Cronan (Aus)

Hong Kong China v Brazil
Referee: Reuben Keane (Aus)
ARs: Katsuki Furuse (Jpn) & Morgan White (HK)

England v Australia
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (NZR)
ARs: Nika Amashukeli (Geo) & Paul Williams (NZ)
TMO: Glenn Newman (NZR)

France v Japan
Referee: Damian Schneider (Arg)
ARs: Luke Pearce (Eng) & James Doleman (NZ)
TMO: Richard Kelly (NZR)

Italy v Argentina
Referee: Matt Carley (Eng)
ARs: Andrew Brace (Ire) & Adam Leal (Eng)
TMO: Mike Adamson (Sco)

Spain v Uruguay
Referee: Eoghan Cross (Ire)
ARs: Chris Busby (Ire) & TBC
TMO: Quinton Immelman (SA)

Romania v Tonga
Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi (Ita)
ARs: Morné Ferreira (Sco) & Federico Vedovelli (Ita)
TMO: Matteo Liperini (Ita)

Portugal v USA
Referee: Sam Grove White (Sco)
ARs: Takehito Namekawa (Jpn) & TBC
TMO: Andrew Jackson (Eng)

Canada v Chile
Referee: Angus Mabey (NZ)
ARs: Morné Ferreira (Sco) & Federico Vedovelli (Ita)
TMO: Matteo Liperini (Ita)

Georgia v All Blacks XV
Referee: Jordan Way (Aus)
ARs: Jeremy Rozier (Fra) & Aimee Barrett Theron (SA)
TMO: Brian MacNeice (Ire)

Wales v Fiji
Referee: Luc Ramos (Fra)
ARs: Pierre Brousset (Fra) & Hollie Davidson (Sco)
TMO: Eric Gauzins (Fra)

Scotland v South Africa
Referee: Christophe Ridley (Eng)
ARs: Angus Gardner (Aus) & Craig Evans (Wal)
TMO: Ian Tempest (Eng)

15-17 Nov 2024

Ireland v Argentina
Referee: Paul Williams (NZ)
ARs: Craig Evans (Wal) & Angus Mabey (NZ)
TMO: Richard Kelly (NZR)

England v South Africa
Referee: Andrew Brace (Ire)
ARs: Chris Busby (Ire) & Eoghan Cross (Ire)
TMO: Ben Whitehouse (Wal)

France v New Zealand
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Geo)
ARs: Matt Carley (Eng) & Andrea Piardi (Ita)
TMO: Marius Jonker (SA)

Japan v Uruguay
Referee: Christophe Ridley (Eng)
ARs: Luc Ramos (Fra) & Adam Leal (Eng)
TMO: Tual Trainini (Fra)

USA v Tonga
Referee: Hollie Davidson (Sco)
ARs: Luc Ramos (Fra) & Adam Leal (Eng)
TMO: Tual Trainini (Fra)

Scotland v Portugal
Referee: Takehito Namekawa (Jpn)
ARs: Luke Pearce (Eng) & Antony Woodthorpe (Eng)
TMO: Brian MacNeice (Ire)

Spain v Fiji
Referee: Morne Ferreira (SA)
ARs: Aimee Barrett-Theron (SA) & Federico Vedovelli (Ita)
TMO: Quinton Immelman (SA)

Romania v Canada
Referee: Sam Grove White (Sco)
ARs: Saba Abulashvili (Geo) & TBC
TMO: Andrew McMenemy (Sco)

Netherlands v Chile
Referee: Jeremy Rosier (Fra)
ARs: Evan Urruzmendi (Fra) & Kevin Bralley (Fra)
TMO: Eric Gauzins (Fra)

Hong Kong China v Brazil
Referee: Katsuki Furuse (Jpn)
ARs: Reuben Keane (Aus) & Morgan White (HKC)

England A v Australia A
Referee: Eoghan Cross (Ire)
ARs: TBC & Joe James (Eng)
TMO: TBC

Wales v Australia
Referee: James Doleman (NZR)
ARs: Karl Dickson (Eng) & Angus Mabey (NZR)
TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (SA)

Italy v Georgia
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (NZR)
ARs: Pierre Brousset (Fra) & Damian Schneider (Arg)
TMO: Glenn Newman (NZR)

22–24 Nov 2024

France v Argentina
Referee: Luke Pearce (Eng)
ARs: Andrea Piardi (Ita) & Morné Ferreira (Sco)
TMO: Ian Tempest (Eng)

Wales v South Africa
Referee: Karl Dickson (Eng)
ARs: Christophe Ridley (Eng) & Damian Schneider (Arg)
TMO: Andrew Jackson (Eng)

Italy v New Zealand
Referee: Pierre Brousset (Fra)
ARs: Nika Amashukeli (Geo) & Ludovic Cayre (Fra)
TMO: Tual Trainini (Fra)

Ireland v Fiji
Referee: Hollie Davidson (Sco)
ARs: Matt Carley (Eng) & Sam Grove White (Sco)
TMO: Mike Adamson (Sco)

Spain v USA
Referee: Saba Abulashvili (Geo)
ARs: Kevin Bralley (Fra) & Evan Urruzmendi (Fra)
TMO: Tom Spurrier (Wal)

Romania v Uruguay
Referee: Adam Leal (Eng)
ARs: TBC & TBC
TMO: Adam Jones (Wal)

Scotland A v Chile
Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi (Ita)
ARs: Federico Vedovelli (Ita) & TBC
TMO: Matteo Liperini (Ita)

Georgia v Tonga
Referee: Luc Ramos (Fra)
ARs: Jerremy Rozier (Fra) & Aimee Barrett-Theron (SA)
TMO: Tom Foley (Eng)

England v Japan
Referee: Craig Evans (Wal)
ARs: Andrea Piardi (Ita) & Morné Ferreira (Sco)
TMO: Olly Hodges (Ire)

Scotland v Australia
Referee: Chris Busby (Ire)
ARs: Andrew Brace (Ire) & Eoghan Cross (Ire)
TMO: Ben Whitehouse (Wal)

30 Nov 24

Ireland v Australia
Referee: Andrea Piardi (Ita)
ARs: Nika Amashukeli (Geo) & Gianluca Gneechi (Ita)
TMO: Eric Gauzins (Fra)