Referees for British & Irish Lions series and July Tests confirmed

World Rugby has announced its match official appointments for the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia and the July international window, with 24 referees from 11 countries set to take charge of 27 test matches.

Ben O’Keeffe, Andrea Piardi and Nika Amashukeli will referee the three Lions test matches in Australia. The July window runs from 20 June to 2 August and includes a total of 38 matches, 27 of which are designated as tests.

Piardi and Amashukeli will each make history by becoming the first Italian and Georgian referees respectively to officiate a Lions test. O’Keeffe returns for his second Lions appointment, having previously refereed the second test of the 2021 tour to South Africa.

Richard Kelly (New Zealand), Eric Gauzins (France) and Marius Jonker (South Africa) have been appointed as Television Match Officials for the Lions series.

James Doleman of New Zealand will open the July test window, taking charge of the Lions’ fixture against Argentina at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium on 20 June. The final test match of the series in Sydney on 2 August will be officiated by Amashukeli.

Six referees will oversee matches during the Lions tour. O’Keeffe, Piardi and Amashukeli are joined by Doleman, Paul Williams (New Zealand) and Pierre Brousset (France).

Nic Berry will take charge of his 40th test when he referees the opening test between New Zealand and France in Dunedin. Hollie Davidson (Scotland) will return to South Africa to officiate the Springboks’ opening test against Italy in Pretoria on 5 July.

Chair of the Emirates World Rugby Match Officials Selection Committee, Su Carty said: “With new global competitions to commence in 2026, our long-term focus continues to be on ensuring we have a widened pool of top level international match officials on the road to Rugby World Cups in the USA, and this selection represents that strategic ambition.

“I would like to congratulate and thank the match officials selected who earn their places on merit. I know how hard this group strives for excellence on and off the field, whether that be via rigorous performance review, fitness or culture, and we look forward to seeing them in action.”

World Rugby High Performance 15s Match Officials Manager, Joël Jutge added: “Our collective focus continues to be on arriving at Australia 2027 with a team performing to its fullest potential, facilitating an exciting game for players and fans.

“The foundations are in place with the ‘critical few’, co-created and agreed with coaches in 2024 as performance indicators around speed, space, safety, scrum and lineout. We are collectively focused on consistent application and the 2025 July tests represent another milestone on the road to Australia.”

Appointments for the Pacific Nations Cup, The Rugby Championship and the World Rugby U20 Championship are set to follow in due course.