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Referee Gaüzère in Salta this time

The match will be played in the inland city of Salta up in the Andes.

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Last week the match between the two countries was played down at the seaside in Port Elizabeth where Gaüzère was an assistant to compatriot Romain Poite. This week Poite is Gaüzère's assistant in Salta.

Gaüzère, who turned 40 on 23 April, was born in France's rugby country, the southwest. Tall, he preferred basketball but also played on the flank for the famous Dax club.

In France, referees are sometimes recruited from suspended players. It was a way back into rugby. In fact in Ile de France a player suspended for abusing a referee had the choice of suspension for life or for five years as a referee. Gaüzère was serving long suspension and started refereeing. Like lots of normal people, he enjoyed refereeing and at the age of 25 decided to give up playing and stick to refereeing. 

That means he has 15 years' worth of experience.

Three years after deciding to make refereeing his sporting activity Gaüzère was promoted to France's demanding Championship, the Top 14. In 2015 he refereed the final of the Top 14. He has also refereed top club rugby in the European Cup and the PRO12.

In 2009 he went off to the World Junior Championship in Japan and was there again the next year in Argentina when he refereed  to final between New Zealand and Australia, which the former won 62-17.

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In 2010 Gaüzère gave up his job in human resources and became a full-time referee and his involvement in international matches grew. That year he refereed the Twickenham match between the Springboks and the Barbarians.

In 2014 he refereed the Rugby Championship match between New Zealand and Argentina. In 2015 he was one of the 12 referees appointed to the Rugby World Cup, hosted by England. He was one of a trio of Frenchmen, the other two Jérôme Garcès and Poite. In the pool rounds, he refereed the match between the Springboks and the USA.

In all, tall, slim Pascal Gaüzère has refereed nearly 30 Tests. Last year he refereed the match at Twickenham between England and Argentina and this year he refereed Scotland vs Italy in the Six Nations and Fiji vs Scotland in June. On the B&I Lions tour he refereed their match with the Blues ands was the assistant referee in two other tour matches.

Pascal Gaüzère, the father of a daughter, lives down near the Spanish border and moves around the world refereeing important rugby matches.

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