Referees Appointed to June Tests
They involve the Six Nations, the SANZAAR countries, the islands of the South Pacific, Japan, Russia, Canada, the USA and Georgia. It is a busy time for referees as they go whizzing about the world.
One of them, the ophthalmologist Dr Ben O'Keeffe, will be refereeing his first Test. Like Shuhei Kubo of Japan Shuhei Kubo, Federico Anselmi of Argentina and Marius van der Westhuizen of South Africa, who are also new to the June Test panel, O'Keeffe was a referee at World Rugby's Junior World Championship.
For Stuart Berry of South Africa this will be his first Tier 1 Test.
It is not Nigel Owens's first Test. In fact he is on the brink of a world record. At the moment he is on 70 Tests – level with Jonathan Kaplan in Tests refereed, which is a world record. When he referees Fiji vs Tonga on 11 June 2016 Owens will move up to 71 Tests and have the record all to himself.
29 May 2016
England vs Wales at Twickenham
Referee: Marius Mitrea (Italy)
Assistant referees: Johnny Lacey (Ireland), George Clancy (Ireland)
11 June 2016
Canada vs Japan in Vancouver
Referee: Federico Anselmi (Argentina)
Assistant referees: Kurt Weaver (USA), tbc
Argentina vs Italy in Argentina
Referee: Stuart Berry (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Luke Pearce (England), Joaquin Montes (Uruguay)
Samoa vs Georgia in Apia
Referee: Ben O'Keeffe (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Andrew Lees (Australia), James Leckie (Australia
Fiji vs Tonga in Suva
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant referees: Mike Fraser (New Zealand), Brendan Pickerill (New Zealand)
South Africa vs Ireland at Newlands
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France)
Assistant referees: Angus Gardner (Australia), Matthew Carley (England)
Australia vs England in Brisbane
Referee: Romain Poite (France)
Assistant referees: Craig Joubert (South Africa), Glen Jackson (New Zealand)
New Zealand vs Wales at Eden Park
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Assistant referees: Jaco Peyper (South Africa), Will Houston (Australia)
18 June 2016
New Zealand vs Wales in Wellington
Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Jérôme Garcès (France), Wayne Barnes (England)
Australia vs England in Melbourne
Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Nigel Owens (Wales), Mike Fraser (New Zealand)
South Africa vs Ireland at Ellis Park
Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)
Assistant referees: Glen Jackson (New Zealand), Ben Whitehouse (Wales)
Argentina vs France in Argentina
Referee: Johnny Lacey (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Stuart Berry (South Africa), Luke Pearce (England)
USA vs Italy in San Jose
Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Matthew Carley (England), Chris Assmus (Canada)
Canada vs Russia in Calgary
Referee: Shuhei Kubo (Japan)
Assistant referees: Federico Anselmi (Argentina), Kurt Weaver (USA)
Georgia vs Tonga in Suva
Referee: Nick Briant (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Pascal Gauzère (France), Faa'vae Neru (Samoa)
Fiji vs Samoa in Suva
Referee: George Clancy (Ireland)
Assistant referees: JP Doyle (England), James Leckie (Australia)
Japan vs Scotland in Tokyo
Referee: Ben O'Keeffe (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Marius Mitrea (Italy), Brendan Pickerill (New Zealand)
25 June 2016
South Africa vs Ireland in Port Elisabeth
Referee: Glen Jackson (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Angus Gardner (Australia), Ben Whitehouse (Wales)
Australia vs England in Sydney
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant referees: Craig Joubert (South Africa), Mike Fraser (New Zealand)
Argentina vs France in Argentina
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Assistant referees: Johnny Lacey (Ireland), Luke Pearce (England)
USA vs Russia in Sacramento
Referee: Matthew Carley (England)
Assistant referees: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa), Chris Assmus (Canada)
Canada vs Italy in Toronto
Referee: Alexandre Ruiz (France)
Assistant referees: Shuhei Kubo (Japan), Kurt Weaver (USA)
Samoa vs Tonga in Apia
Referee: Pascal Gauzère (France)
Assistant referees: Nick Briant (New Zealand), Fa'avae Neru (Samoa)
New Zealand vs Wales in Wellington
Referee: Jérôme Garcès (France)
Assistant referees: Jaco Peyper (South Africa), Andrew Lees (Australia)
Fiji vs Georgia in Suva
Referee: JP Doyle (England)
Assistant referees: George Clancy (Ireland), James Leckie (Australia)
Japan vs Scotland in Tokyo
Referee: Marius Mitrea (Italy)
Assistant referees: Ben O'Keeffe (New Zealand), Brendan Pickerill (New Zealand)
