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Referee appointments for the 2024 Pacific Nations Cup see no matches allocated to Americas officials. The competition will be played in North America, Oceania and Japan with six competitors: Canada, USA, Japan, Fiji, Samoa and Tonga. World Rugby has appointed referees from Australia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Scotland and Wales.
The 2024 Pacific Nations Cup will involve a total of eleven matches. Australian officials will referee three matches as will New Zealanders. Each of the five remaining matches will be officiated by a referee from Ireland, Italy, Japan, Scotland and Wales.
Two matches will be played in North America. Ireland’s Eoghan Cross will take charge of Canada vs Japan in Vancouver while Italy’s Gianluca Gnecchi will officiate USA vs Canada in Los Angeles. The final will be officiated by Australia’s Nic Berry. He will also be in charge of the 5th Place Final in Japan.
The referee appointments were made with an eye to Rugby World Cup 2027. The same is true of the 2024 Rugby Championship. World Rugby is preparing referees for the next Rugby World Cup. Those being allocated matches now are in frame for the tournament in three years time in Australia.
It should be noted that the lack of Americas officials in the 2024 Pacific Nations Cup and Rugby Championship tournaments is a continuation of the long-standing policy of World Rugby to push referees from a limited number of countries.
No Americas official was appointed a match at Rugby World Cup 2023. New Zealander Paul Williams will referee the second Semi Final of the Pacific Nations Cup. He officiated Argentina vs Chile at Rugby World Cup 2023. He did so entirely in English. Argentina vs Uruguay this past July was also not refereed in Spanish.
In addition to Rugby World Cups 2023, the 2019, 2015, 2011 and 2007 tournaments also saw no Americas officials appointed to referee matches.
| PNC 2024 FIXTURES |
August 23
vs 
(HFC Stadium, Suva)
vs 
(BC Place, Vancouver)
August 30
vs 
(Apia Park, Apia)
August 31
vs (Dignity Health Sports Park, Los Angeles)
September 06
vs (Teufaiva Stadium, Nuku’alofa)
September 07
vs (Kumagaya Rugby Stadium, Saitama)
September 14
5th-place Play-off (Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium, Tokyo)
Semi-Final 1 (Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium, Tokyo)
September 15
Semi Final 2 (Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium, Tokyo)
September 21
Bronze Final (Hanazono Rugby Stadium, Osaka)
Final (Hanazono Rugby Stadium, Osaka)
| PNC 2024 REFEREE APPOINMENTS |
vs
Referee: James Doleman (New Zealand)
Assistant Referee 1: Angus Mabey (New Zealand)
Assistant Referee 2: Reuben Keane (Australia)
TMO: Richard Kelly (New Zealand)
vs
Referee: Eoghan Cross (Ireland)
Assistant Referee 1: Kat Roche (USA)
Assistant Referee 2: Luke Rogan (USA)
TMO: Derek Summers (USA)
vs
Referee: Takehito Namekawa (Japan)
Assistant Referee 1: Angus Mabey (New Zealand)
Assistant Referee 2: Katsuki Furuse (Japan)
TMO: N/A
vs
Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy)
Assistant Referee 1: Eoghan Cross (Ireland)
Assistant Referee 2: Federico Vedovelli (Italy)
TMO: Matteo Liperini (Italy)
vs
Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)
Assistant Referee 1: Reuben Keane (Australia)
Assistant Referee 2: George Myers (Australia)
TMO: Damon Murphy (Australia)
vs
Referee: Hollie Davidson (Scotland)
Assistant Referee 1: Sam Grove-White (Scotland)
Assistant Referee 2: Morgan White (Hong Kong)
TMO: Aaron Paterson (New Zealand)
5th-place Play-off
Referee: Nic Berry (Australia)
Assistant Referee 1: Takehito Namekawa (Japan)
Assistant Referee 2: Katsuki Furuse (Japan)
TMO: Damon Murphy (Australia)
Semi-Final 1
Referee: Craig Evans (Wales)
Assistant Referee 1: Hollie Davidson (Scotland)
Assistant Referee 2: Sam Grove-White (Scotland)
TMO: Tual Trainini (France)
Semi Final 2
Referee: Paul Williams (New Zealand)
Assistant Referee 1: Hollie Davidson (Scotland)
Assistant Referee 2: Sam Grove-White (Scotland)
TMO: Tual Trainini (France)
Bronze Final
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand)
Assistant Referee 1: Craig Evans (Wales)
Assistant Referee 2: Morgan White (Hong Kong)
TMO: Tual Trainini (France)
Final
Referee: Nic Berry (Australia)
Assistant Referee 1: Paul Williams (NZR)
Assistant Referee 2: Takehito Namekawa (Japan)
TMO: Damon Murphy (Australia)
