Refs for November Tests
World Rugby has announced the match officials for these Tests, all 41 of them. There are 41 matches with teams from 25 different countries and people from 16 countries to regulate the playing of the matches.
Several of the referees are new to these November Tests but then the search must be on for match officials for the World Cup which takes place in 2019, which is just the year after newt.
The referee who seems to have made the biggest impression this year is Ben O'Keeffe, the 28-year-old ophthalmologist from Wellington, who recently refereed the Rugby Championship match between South Africa and Australia in Bloemfontein. Last November he refereed the match between Scotland and Argentina at Murrayfield.
There are some referees new to this group of matches – Nic Berry, Brendon Pickerill, Egon Seconds, Rasta Rasivhenge, Kurt Weaver, Mike Adamson, Dan Jones, Pierre Brousset, Ian Tempest and three Irishmen – Frank Murphy, David Wilkinson and Seán Gallagher. Of the new men Nic Berry and Frank Murphy were top scrumhalves in their playing days. Mike Adamson, a flyhalf in 15s, and Egon Seconds, a wing, played Sevens for their countries. Pierre Brousset is the youngest of the new arrivals at 28, the same age as O'Keeffe who has arrived.
As happened last year, there is a lady in their midst – Joy Neville of Ireland who refereed the final of the Women's Rugby World Cup this year. Last year it was a lady of Spain – Alhambra Nievas.
Here they are – matches, dates, venues and match officials.
28 October 2017
Japan vs World XV at Level 5 Stadium, Fukuoka, Japan
Referee: Nic Berry (Australia)
Assistant referees: Angus Gardner (Australia), Rohan Hoffmann (Australia)
Television match official: Ian Smith (Australia)
Assessor: Mark Lawrence (South Africa)
Barbarians vs Australia at Allianz Stadium, Sydney, Australia
Referee: Brendon Pickerill (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Jamie Nutbrown (New Zealand), James Leckie (Australia)
Television match official: Aaron Paterson (New Zealand)
Assessor: Wayne Erick son (Australia)
3 November 2017
Canada vs New Zealand Maori All Blacks at BC Place Stadium, Vancouver, Canada
Referee: Kurt Weaver (USA)
Assistant referees: tba (USA)
4 November 2017
Barbarians vs New Zealand at Twickenham
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant referees: Nic Berry (Australia), Ben Whitehouse (Wales)
Television match official: Rowan Kitt (England)
Assessor: John Sheehan (Ireland)
Japan vs Australia at International Stadium, Yokohama, Japan
Referee: Nick Briant (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Mike Fraser (New Zealand), Tim Baker (Hong Kong)
Television match official: Ben Skeen (New Zealand)
Assessor: Wayne Erick son (Australia)
10 November 2017
French Barbarians vs Maori All Blacks at Stade Chaban-Delmas, Bordeaux, France
Referee: Shuhei Kubo (Japan)
Assistant referees: tba (France)
Assessor: Clayton Thomas (Wales)
Barbarians vs Tonga at Thomond Park, Limerick, Ireland
Referee: Frank Murphy (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Sean Gallagher (Ireland), Joy Neville (Ireland)
Assessor: Andy MacPherson (Scotland)
11 November 2017
England vs Argentina at Twickenham
Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Nigel Owens (Wales), Dan Jones (Wales)
Television match official: Olly Hodges (Ireland)
Assessor: Colin Hawke (New Zealand)
France vs New Zealand at Stade de France, Paris, France
Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)
Assistant referees: Matthew Carley (England), Tom Foley (England)
Television match official: Rowan Kitt (England)
Assessor: John Sheehan (Ireland)
Ireland vs South Africa at Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland
Referee: Ben O'Keeffe (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Wayne Barnes (England), Ian Davies (Wales)
Television match official: David Grashoff (England)
Assessor: Andrew Cole (Australia)
Wales vs Australia at Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Wales
Referee: Glen Jackson (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Jaco Peyper (South Africa), Ian Tempest (England)
Television match official: Graham Hughes (England)
Assessor: Nigel Yates (England)
Scotland vs Samoa at Murrayfield
Referee: Nic Berry (Australia)
Assistant referees: Paul Williams (New Zealand), George Clancy (Ireland)
Television match official: Simon McDowell (Ireland)
Assessor: Chris White (England)
Italy vs Fiji at Stadio Angelo Massimino, Catania, Italy
Referee: John Lacey (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Brendon Pickerill (New Zealand), Pierre Brousset (France)
Television match official: Neil Paterson (Scotland)
Assessor: Andy Clift (Scotland)
Germany vs Brazil at Bruno Plache Stadium, Leipzig, Germany
Referee: Mike Adamson (Scotland)
Assistant referees: tba (Scotland)
Assessor: Robert Davies (Wales)
Georgia vs Canada in Tbilisi, Georgia
Referee: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)
Assistant referees: Alex Ruiz (France), Craig Evans (Wales)
Television match official: Neil Hennessy (Wales)
Assessor: Pablo Deluca (Argentina)
14 November 2017
France XV vs New Zealand XV in Parc Ol, Lyon, France
Referee: Luke Pearce (England)
Assistant referees: Andrew Brace (Ireland), David Wilkinson (Ireland)
Television match official: Sean Davey (England)
Assessor: Gary Welsh (England)
18 November 2017
England vs Australia at Twickenham
Referee: Ben O'Keeffe (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa), George Clancy (Ireland)
Television match official: Simon McDowell (Ireland)
Assessor: Clayton Thomas (Wales)
France vs South Africa at Stade de France
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant referees: Wayne Barnes (England), Tom Foley (England)
Television match official: Rowan Kitt (England)
Assessor: Colin Hawke (New Zealand)
Italy vs Argentina at Stadio Artemio Franchi, Florence
Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Glen Jackson (New Zealand), Pierre Brousset (France)
Television match official: Brian MacNeice (Ireland)
Assessor: Nigel Yates (England)
Scotland vs New Zealand at Murrayfield
Referee: Matthew Carley (England)
Assistant referees: Romain Poite (France), Ian Davies (Wales)
Television match official: Graham Hughes (England)
Assessor: John Sheehan (Ireland)
Wales vs Georgia at Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Wales
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France)
Assistant referees: Shuhei Kubo (Japan), Sean Gallagher (Ireland)
Television match official: Leo Colgan (Ireland)
Assessor: Andy MacPherson (Scotland)
Japan vs Tonga at Stade Ernest Wallon, Toulouse, France
Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Pascal Gaüzère (France), Craig Evans (Wales)
Television match official: Jon Mason (Wales)
Assessor: Mark Lawrence (South Africa)
Romania vs Samoa at Stadionul Arcul de Triumph, Bucharest, Romania
Referee: David Wilkinson (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Mike Adamson (Scotland), Shota Tevzadze (Georgia)
Television match official: Neil Paterson (Scotland)
Assessor: Andrew Cole (Australia)
Ireland vs Fiji at Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland
Referee: Paul Williams (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Angus Gardner (Australia), Alex Ruiz (France)
Television match official: David Grashoff (England)
Assessor: Chris White (England)
Germany vs USA at Brita Arena, Wiesbaden, Germany
Referee: Brendon Pickerill (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Ben Whitehouse (Wales), Vlad Iordachescu (Romania)
Assessor: Andy Clift (Scotland)
Spain vs Canada at Estadio Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
Referee: Ian Tempest (England)
Assistant referees: Frank Murphy (Ireland), Joy Neville (Ireland)
Assessor: Pablo Deluca (Argentina)
Namibia vs Uruguay at Hage Geingob Stadium, Windhoek, Namibia
Referee: Egon Seconds (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Rasta Rasivhenge (South Africa), Cwengile Jadezweni (South Africa)
Assessor: Wayne Erick son (Australia)
Belgium vs Brazil in Brussels, Belgium
Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys (England)
Assistant referees: tba (England)
Assessor: Robert Davies (Wales)
25 November 2017
Germany vs Chile in Offenbach, Germany
Referee: Dan Jones (Wales)
Assistant referees: tba (Wales)
Assessor: Andy Clift (Scotland)
Ireland vs Argentina at Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France)
Assistant referees: Marius Mitrea (Italy), Mike Adamson (Scotland)
Television match official: David Grashoff (England)
Assessor: Wayne Erick son (Australia)
Italy vs South Africa at Stadio Euganeo, Padova, Italy
Referee: Romain Poite (France)
Assistant referees: JP Doyle (England), Ben Whitehouse (Wales)
Television match official: Eric Gauzins (France)
Assessor: Clayton Thomas (Wales)
Scotland vs Australia at Murrayfield
Referee: Pascal Gaüzère (France)
Assistant referees: John Lacey (Ireland), David Wilkinson (Ireland)
Television match official: Graham Hughes (England)
Assessor: Colin Hawke (New Zealand)
Wales vs New Zealand at Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Wales
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Assistant referees: Jérôme Garcès (France), Frank Murphy (Ireland)
Television match official: Rowan Kitt (England)
Assessor: Andy MacPherson (Scotland)
England vs Samoa at Twickenham
Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Nigel Owens (Wales), Craig Evans (Wales)
Television match official: Simon McDowell (Ireland)
Assessor: Andrew Cole (Australia)
France vs Japan at U Arena, Nanterre, France
Referee: Luke Pearce (England)
Assistant referees: George Clancy (Ireland), Joy Neville (Ireland)
Television match official: Sean Davey (England)
Assessor: Clayton Thomas (Wales)
Romania vs Tonga Stadionul Arcul de Triumph, Bucharest, Romania
Referee: Tom Foley (England)
Assistant referees: Ian Davies (Wales), Shota Tevzadze (Georgia)
Television match official: Stefano Pennè (Italy)
Assessor: Robert Davies (Wales)
Fiji vs Canada
Referee: Matthew Carley (England)
Assistant referees: Shuhei Kubo (Japan), Vlad Iordachescu (Romania)
Television match official: Brian MacNeice (Ireland)
Assessor: Mark Lawrence (South Africa)
Georgia vs USA at Mikhail Meskhi Stadium, Tbilisi, Georgia
Referee: Pierre Brousset (France)
Assistant referees: Ian Tempest (England), Craig Maxwell-Keys (England)
Television match official: Kevin Beggs (Ireland)
Assessor: Chris White (England)
Namibia vs Uruguay at Hage Geingob Stadium, Windhoek, Namibia
Referee: Rasta Rasivhenge (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Egon Seconds (South Africa), Cwengile Jadezweni (South Africa)
Assessor: Nigel Yates (England)
Spain vs Brazil in Alicante, Spain
Referee: Sean Gallagher (Ireland)
Assistant referees: tba (Ireland)
Assessor: Gary Welsh (England)
2 December 2017
Wales vs South Africa at Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Wales
Referee: Jérôme Garcès (France)
Assistant referees: Wayne Barnes (England), Frank Murphy (Ireland)
Television match official: Rowan Kitt (England)
Assessor: John Sheehan (Ireland)
