Familiar Officials Named for Rugby Championship

Familiar officials have been named by World Rugby for this year’s Rugby Championship. From August 18 to October 06 Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa will compete in the annual Southern Hemisphere competition.

Argentina will open their campaign on Saturday August 18 against South Africa. The round 1 clash in Durban will be refereed by New Zealander Ben O’Keefe. The Welsh born and raised Irish official, Andrew Brace who refereed Argentina vs Wales last month returns to be an assistant.

In round 2 Argentina host the reverse fixture in Mendoza. The same trio of officials and the same TMO will feature from the round 1 fixture. Changes see Australia’s Angus Gardner as the referee with O’Keefe this time being an assistant.

In round 3 Los Pumas will play their first of two matches in Oceania. In charge of New Zealand vs Argentina in Nelson will be Frenchman Pascal Gauzere. The following weekend Argentina face the Wallabies on Australia’s Gold Coast with Irishman John Lacey as the referee.

Rounds 5 and 6 will be home matches for Los Pumas. The round 5 match will be against New Zealand in Mendoza. It is to be Argentina’s first ever home Rugby Championship match against New Zealand not to have been refereed by a South African. Mathieu Raynal will be in charge while Jaco Peyper will referee the final fixture against Australia in Salta.

ROUND 1

Match: Australia vs New Zealand
Venue: ANZ Stadium, Sydney
Date: Saturday August 18
Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)
Assistant Referee 1: Wayne Barnes (England)
Assistant Referee 2: Luke Pearce (England)
TMO: Marius Jonker (South Africa)

Match: South Africa vs Argentina
Venue: Kings Park, Durban
Date: Saturday August 18
Referee: Ben O’Keefe (New Zealand)
Assistant Referee 1: Angus Gardner (Australia)
Assistant Referee 2: Andrew Brace (Ireland)
TMO: Simon McDowell (Ireland)

ROUND 2

Match: New Zealand vs Australia
Venue: Eden Park, Auckland
Date: Saturday August 25
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Assistant Referee 1: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)
Assistant Referee 2: Luke Pearce (England)
TMO: Marius Jonker (South Africa)

Match: Argentina vs South Africa
Venue: Estadio Malvinas Argentinas, Mendoza
Date: Saturday August 25
Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)
Assistant Referee 1: Ben O’Keefe (New Zealand)
Assistant Referee 2: Andrew Brace (Ireland)
TMO: Simon McDowell (Ireland)

ROUND 3

Match: New Zealand vs Argentina
Venue: Trafalgar Park, Nelson
Date: Saturday September 08
Referee: Pascal Gauzere (France)
Assistant Referee 1: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant Referee 2: Nic Berry (Australia)
TMO: Roman Kitt (England)

Match: Australia vs South Africa
Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Date: Saturday September 08
Referee: Glen Jackson (New Zealand)
Assistant Referee 1: John Lacey (Ireland)
Assistant Referee 2: Paul Williams (New Zealand)
TMO: Glenn Newman (New Zealand)

ROUND 4

Match: New Zealand vs South Africa
Date: Saturday September 15
Venue: Westpac Stadium, Wellington
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant Referee 1: Pascal Gauzere (France)
Assistant Referee 2: Nic Berry (Australia)
TMO: Roman Kitt (England)

Match: Australia vs Argentina
Date: Saturday September 15
Venue: Robina Stadium, Gold Coast
Referee: John Lacey (Ireland)
Assistant Referee: Glen Jackson (New Zealand)
Assistant Referee: Paul Williams (New Zealand)
TMO: Glenn Newman (New Zealand)

ROUND 5

Match: South Africa vs Australia
Date: Saturday September 29
Venue: Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth
Referee: Jerome Garces (France)
Assistant Referee 1 Wayne Barnes (England)
Assistant Referee 2: Matthew Carley (England)
TMO: Graham Hughes (England)

Match: Argentina vs New Zealand
Date: Saturday September 29
Venue: Estadio Velez Sarsfield, Buenos Aires
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France)
Assistant Referee 1: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)
Assistant Referee 2: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa)
TMO: David Grashoff (England)

ROUND 6

Match: South Africa vs New Zealand
Date: Saturday October 06
Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)
Assistant Referee 1: Jerome Garces (France)
Assistant Referee 2: Matthew Carley (England)
TMO: Graham Hughes (England)

Match: Argentina vs Australia
Date: Saturday October 06
Venue: Estadio Padre Erneste Martearena, Salta
Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)
Assistant Referee 1: Mathieu Raynal (France)
Assistant Referee 2: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa)
TMO: Marius Jonker (South Africa)