Kaplan replaces White in Six Nations opener
Referee Chris White is injured and has been replaced by Jonathan Kaplan for the opening match of the 2008 Six Nations. It is one of recent changes to the match officials.
But White will still officiate that weekend, as the television match official in the place of Rob Debney when Scotland play France at Murrayfield.
The opening match is between Ireland and Italy at Croke Park. While Kaplan has twice before refereed the fixture, he has not refereed at historic Croke Park before.
Croke Park, one of the greatest stadiums in Europe with a capacity of 82,000, is the biggest Six Nations venue and is being used while Lansdowne Road is being refurbished.
The ground has much to do with Irish nationalism as the home of Gaelic Games and for its connection with Ireland’s fight for independence.
The Hill was originally built with rubble from the Easter Rising of 1916 and the ground played a grim part in the ‘Bloody Sunday’ of 1920 when the Black and Tans killed 14 during a Gaelic Football match, including Michael Hogan of Tipperary after whom a stand is named.
On the Saturday before the match, Kaplan will referee a club match in Dublin, between Blackrock College and Greystones.
Kaplan will referee two matches in this season’s Six Nations as he will later referee the Calcutta Cup match at Murrayfield.
Chris White is also replaced as a touch judge – Wayne Barnes comes in his stead when France play Ireland.
There are other changes amongst the match officials. David Changleng will be the touch judge at Croke Park in place of his compatriot Peter Allan, Peter Allan the touch judge in the place of Malcolm Changleng when Wales play Ireland and David Changleng the television match official in the place of his twin Malcolm when Ireland play Wales.
The match officials for the Six Nations are now as follows:
2 February
Ireland vs Italy at Croke Park
Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa)
Touch judges: Wayne Barnes (England), David Changleng (Scotland)
Television match official: Tim Hayes (Wales)
Assessor: Tappe Henning (South Africa)
England vs Wales at Twickenham
Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa)
Touch judges: Alan Lewis (Ireland), Romain Poite (France)
Television match official: Simon McDowell (Ireland)
Assessor: Douglas Kerr (Scotland)
3 February
Scotland vs France at Murrayfield
Referee: Paul Honiss (New Zealand)
Touch judges: Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand), Taizo Hirabayashi (Japan)
Television match official: Chris White (England)
Assessor: Michel Lamoulie (France)
9 February
Wales vs Scotland at Millennium Stadium
Referee: Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand)
Touch judges: Paul Honiss (New Zealand), Christophe Berdos (France)
Television match official: Carlo Damasco (Italy)
Assessor: Jim Bailey (Wales)
France vs Ireland at Stade de France
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Touch judges: Wayne Barnes (England), Tim Hayes (Wales)
Television match official: Hugh Watkins (Wales)
Assessor: Tappe Henning (South Africa)
10 February
Italy vs England at Stadio Flaminio
Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland)
Touch judges: Joel Jutge (France), Taizo Hirabayashi
Television match official: Simon McDowell (Ireland)
Assessor: Paul Bridgman (England)
23 February
Wales vs Italy at Millennium Stadium
Referee: Dave Pearson (England)
Touch judges: Wayne Barnes (England), David Changleng (Scotland)
Television match official: Rob Debney (England)
Assessor: Tappe Henning (Scotland)
Ireland vs Scotland at Croke Park
Referee: Christophe Berdos (France)
Touch judges: Joel Jutge (France), Hugh Watkins (Wales)
Television match official: Romain Poite (France)
Assessor: Steve Hilditch (Ireland)
France vs England at Stade de France
Referee: Steve Walsh (New Zealand)
Touch judges: Alain Rolland (Ireland), Carlo Damasco (Italy)
Television match official: George Clancy (Ireland)
Assessor: Michel Lamoulie (France)
8 March
Ireland vs Wales at Croke Park
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Touch judges: Christophe Berdos (France), Peter Allan (Scotland)
Television match official: David Changleng (Scotland)
Assessor: Steve Hilditch (Ireland)
Scotland vs England at Murrayfield
Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa)
Touch judges: Marius Jonker (South Africa), Carlo Damasco (Italy)
Television match official: Tim Hayes (Wales)
Assessor: Patrick Robin (France)
9 March
France vs Italy at Stade de France
Referee: Alan Lewis (Ireland)
Touch judges: Stuart Dickinson (Australia), Federico Cuesta (Argentina)
Television match official: Dave Pearson (England)
Assessor: Michel Lamoulie (France)
15 March
Italy vs Scotland at Stadio Flaminio
Referee: Joel Jutge (France)
Touch judges: Chris White (England), Simon McDowell (Ireland)
Television match official: Romain Poite (France)
Assessor: Douglas Kerr (Scotland)
England vs Ireland at Twickenham
Referee: Stuart Dickinson (Australia)
Touch judges: Nigel Owens (Wales), Tim Hayes (Wales)
Television match official: Hugh Watkins (Wales)
Assessor: Steve Hilditch (Ireland)
Wales vs France at Millennium Stadium
Referee: Marius Jonker (South Africa)
Touch judges: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa), Federico Cuesta (Argentina)
Television match official: Carlo Damasco (Italy)
Assessor: Paul Bridgman (England)
