Referees for 37 November Tests
The International Rugby Board has appointed referees for the November Tests, starting on 1 November and ending on 29 November 2014.
In all there are 37 matches involving teams from 24 countries with match officials from 13 countries. The month of Holy Souls could become the Month of Battered Bodies.
Of the men in the middle four are from France (Romain Poite,Jérôme Garcès, Mathieu Raynal, Pascal Gauzère), three are from England (Luke Pearce, Wayne Barnes and JP Doyle), three from South Africa (Craig Joubert, Jaco Peyper, Stuart Berry), three from NZ(Glen Jackson, Nick Briant, Mike Fraser), two from Ireland (Johnny Lacey, George Clancy), two from Japan (Shuhei Kubo, Akihisa Aso, two from Wales (Nigel Owens, Leighton Hodges), and one from Argentina (Federico Anselmi).
Appointments were made by the IRB Match Official Selection Committee at its recent meeting in Dublin and follow a detailed review of recent performances during the June international window, SANZAR's Rugby Championship and other matches.The IRB Match Official Selection Committee, chaired by John Jeffrey, comprises former elite referees Lyndon Bray (SANZAR), Andrew Cole (SANZAR), Donal Courtney (European Professional Club Rugby), Clayton Thomas (Six Nations) and IRB High Performance Match Officials Manager Joël Jutge. The committee meets four times a year and makes selections for the next international window with all performances reviewed in advance of selection.
Jutge said: “The selection system allows for movement in and out of the match official panel based on form. It rewards the top performers and young referees who have graduated through the performance pathway.
“As always, referees are accountable for the quality of their overall performances and these appointments have been made following careful consideration of all recent matches. With Rugby World Cup 2015 less than a year away, performances are being assessed and scrutinised with that tournament in mind.”
Appointments
1 November 2014
USA vs New Zealand at Soldier Field, Chicago
Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Brian Assmus (Canada), tba (Canada)
Japan vs Maori All Blacks at Noevir Stadium, Kobe
Referee: Luke Pearce (England)
Assistant referees: Angus Gardner (Australia), James Leckie (Australia)
Television match officials: George Ayoub (Australia)
Barbarians vs Australia at Twickenham
Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)
2 November 2014
Championship XV (England) vs Canada at Sixways Stadium, Worcester
Referee: tba (England)
7 November 2014
Canada vs Namibia at Parc Eiras, Colwyn Bay, Wales
Referee: Stuart Berry (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Neil Paterson (Scotland), tba (Wales)
8 November 2014
Canada vs Namibia at Parc Eiras, Colwyn Bay, Wales
Referee: Stuart Berry (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Neil Paterson (Scotland), tba (Wales)
Japan vs Maori All Blacks at Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground, Tokyo
Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)
Assistant referees: Luke Pearce (England), James Leckie (Australia)
Television match officials: George Ayoub (Australia)
England vs New Zealand at Twickenham
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant referees: Jérôme Garcès (France), Dudley Phillips (Ireland)
Television match officials: Simon McDowell (Ireland)
Wales vs Australia at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Jaco Peyper (South Africa), JP Doyle (England)
Television match officials: Graham Hughes (England)
Italy vs Samoa at Stadio Cino e Lilio Del Duca, Ascoli Piceno
Referee: Steve Walsh (Australia)
Assistant referees: John Lacey (Ireland), Greg Garner (England)
Television match officials: Gareth Simmonds (Wales)
Georgia vs Tonga at Mikheil Meshki Stadium, Tbilisi
Referee: Pascal Gauzère (France)
Assistant referees: Andrew McMenemy (Scotland), Vlad Iordachescu (Romania)
Television match officials: Carlo Damasco ((Italy)
Ireland vs South Africa at Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Referee: Romain Poite (France)
Assistant referees: Mathieu Raynal (France), Alexandre Ruiz (France)
Television match officials: Jim Yuille (Scotland)
Scotland vs Argentina at Murrayfield
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Assistant referees: George Clancy (Ireland), Marius Mitrea ((Italy)
Television match officials: Eric Gauzins (France)
France vs Fiji at Le Nouveau Stade Velodrome, Marseille
Referee: Glen Jackson (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Mike Fraser (New Zealand), Federico Anselmi (Argentina)
Television match officials: Stefano Pennè ((Italy)
Romania vs USA at Stadionul National Arcul de Triumf, Bucharest
Referee: Leighton Hodges (Wales)
Assistant referees: Ian Davies (Wales), Neil Hennessy (Wales)
Television match officials: Marshall Kilgore (Ireland)
Hong Kong vs Russia at Hong Kong Football Club
Referee: Akihisa Aso (Japan)
Assistant referees: Shuhei Kubo (Japan), Takashi Harada (Japan)
14 November 2014
Samoa vs Canada at Stade de la Rabine, Vannes
Referee: George Clancy (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Peter Fitzgibbon (Ireland), Alexandre Ruiz (France)
Television match officials: Geoff Warren (England)
French Barbarians vs Namibia at Stade Felix Mayol, Toulon
Referee: Leighton Hodges (Wales)
Assistant referees: tba (France)
Television match officials: Iain Ramage (Scotland)
15 November 2014
Wales vs Fiji at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
Referee: Pascal Gauzère (France)
Assistant referees: Jaco Peyper (South Africa), Dudley Phillips (Ireland)
Television match officials: Carlo Damasco ((Italy)
England vs South Africa at Twickenham
Referee: Steve Walsh (Australia)
Assistant referees: Jérôme Garcès (France), Nick Briant (New Zealand)
Television match officials: Eric Gauzins (France)
Italy vs Argentina at Stadio Ferraris, Genoa
Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Glen Jackson (New Zealand), Ian Davies (Wales)
Television match officials: Simon McDowell (Ireland)
Tonga vs USA at Kingsholm, Gloucester
Referee: Mike Fraser (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Andrew McMenemy (Scotland), Lloyd Linton (Scotland)
Scotland vs New Zealand at Murrayfield, Edinburgh
Referee: Romain Poite (France)
Assistant referees: John Lacey (Ireland), Stuart Berry (South Africa)
Television match officials: Gareth Simmonds (Wales)
France vs Australia at Stade de France, Paris
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant referees: Wayne Barnes (England), Marius Mitrea ((Italy)
Television match officials: Graham Hughes (England)
Romania vs Japan at Stadionul National Arcul de Triumf, Bucharest
Referee: JP Doyle (England)
Assistant referees: Greg Garner (England), tba (England)
xxMarshall Kilgore (Ireland)
Asia Pacific Dragons vs Maori All Blacks at Singapore National Stadium, Singapore
Referee: tba (Australia)
Hong Kong vs Russia at Hong Kong Football Club
Referee: Shuhei Kubo (Japan)
Assistant referees: Akihisa Aso (Japan), Takashi Harada (Japan)
16 November 2014
Ireland vs Georgia at Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France)
Assistant referees: Luke Pearce (England), Federico Anselmi (Argentina)
Television match officials: Jim Yuille (Scotland)
21 November 2014
Fiji vs USA at Stade de la Rabine, Vannes
Referee: John Lacey (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Peter Fitzgibbon (Ireland), tbs (Ireland)
Television match officials: Iain Ramage (Scotland)
22 November 2014
England vs Samoa at Twickenham
Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Mathieu Raynal (France), Leighton Hodges (Wales)
Television match officials: Simon McDowell (Ireland)
Scotland vs Tonga at Rugby Park, Kilmarnock
Referee: JP Doyle (England)
Assistant referees: Greg Garner (England), Marius Mitrea ((Italy)
Television match officials: Carlo Damasco ((Italy)
Italy vs South Africa at Stadio Euganeo, Padua
Referee: Jérôme Garcès (France)
Assistant referees: Pascal Gauzère (France), Alexandre Ruiz (France)
xxGareth Simmonds (Wales)
Ireland vs Australia at Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Referee: Glen Jackson (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Nigel Owens (Wales), Mike Fraser (New Zealand)
Television match officials: Eric Gauzins (France)
Wales vs New Zealand at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Assistant referees: Craig Joubert (South Africa), Luke Pearce (England)
Television match officials: Graham Hughes (England)
France vs Argentina at Stade de France
Referee: George Clancy (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Steve Walsh (Australia), Stuart Berry (South Africa)
Television match officials: Jim Yuille (Scotland)
Romania vs Canada Stadionul National Arcul de Triumf,Bucharest, Romania
Referee: Nick Briant (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Andrew McMenemy (Scotland), Lloyd Linton (Scotland)
Television match officials: Geoff Warren (England)
Portugal vs Namibia at Estadio Nacional Jamor, Lisbon
Referee: Federico Anselmi (Argentina)
Assistant referees: Giuseppe Vivarini ((Italy), Vlad Iordachescu (Romania)
23 November 2014
Georgia vs Japan at Mikheil Meshki Stadium, Tbilisi
Referee: Romain Poite (France)
Assistant referees: Ian Davies (Wales), tba (France)
Television match officials: Stefano Pennè ((Italy)
29 November 2014
England vs Australia at Twickenham
Referee: Jérôme Garcès (France)
Assistant referees: Nigel Owens (Wales), Mathieu Raynal (France)
Television match officials: Simon McDowell (Ireland)
Wales vs South Africa at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
Referee: John Lacey (Ireland)
Assistant referees: George Clancy (Ireland), Pascal Gauzère (France)
Television match officials: Graham Hughes (England)
