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Your country-by-country Rugby World Cup pool match referee list
World Rugby have appointed the referees for the 40 pool matches at the upcoming Rugby World Cup in France. It was May when the dozen referees were originally named and with just over two weeks now remaining before the tournament gets underway, the list of what matches each of the officials will be in charge of has been confirmed.
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The schedule kicks off with South Africa’s Jaco Peyper taking charge of the opening night blockbuster fixture featuring host nation France versus New Zealand in Paris on September 8. England’s Luke Pearce will be in the middle for the final match of the pool stage, the Pool C meeting between Fiji and Portugal in Toulouse on October 8.
Here, RugbyPass gives a country-by-country list of which referees have been appointed:
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).
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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).
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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).
- Click here to view the Rugby World Cup 2023 pool phase match official appointments
Comments on RugbyPass
I’ve actually never heard of the guy (then I don’t watch League as it is boring). But if he is good enough.. then good luck to him. If not, well, he can always return to league.
2 Go to commentsIt is pretty clear that by almost any measure that NZ are a more successful rugby nation than South Africa. Quite aside from the distasteful events during the last RWC final. NZ lead SA in all significant measurements.
37 Go to commentsDickson went to his pocket for a card, saw who it was, changed his mind and spoke at length to TMO. One angle clearly shows Care diving over a Saints player to kill the ball. 1st yellow, reason given for not Red was player was falling backwards. He was only falling backwards after contact with Lawes. Graham try should have stood. Mitchell did not have both hands on the ball, ball went forward from a Saints boot dragging over it. 2 intentional knock-on's. One of which had an overlap on the outside. If Quins are happy to win by intentional foul play, then it does not say much for them. Would appear to be a bad day for Karl Dickson, also for the RFU in appointing a Ref who spent 8 years as a player at one of the clubs.
1 Go to commentsLet’s not forget about Ardie Savea just yet.
4 Go to commentsThe URC and the Euro Championscup can’t run at the same time, basically dilutes both competitions.
1 Go to comments“While Sotutu should start at No.8 for the All Blacks against England, but it’s only in that arena that he can prove just how good he really is.” And that my friends is where simply hasnt shone despite multiple opportunities. Even in this performance you can see what did him in in the test arena..he almost always still runs at the opposition almost ramrod upright making him easier to stop than it should be.
4 Go to commentsShould have been 0-0 and a message from SR CEO to both teams - “don’t worry about turning up next year”.
4 Go to commentsGreat work Owen Franks. A great of this team, scoring his first try for the Crusaders since 2010.He was beaming, justifiably. A fine win, he and the rest did the job up front.
1 Go to commentsDanny Care. Lang in die tand.
1 Go to commentsBig empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
4 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
4 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
4 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
38 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
4 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
2 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to comments