Refs for November Tests
The IRB has cast its net further in making its appointment to the November Tests, mostly in Europe.
There are several of the tried and tested – Craig Joubert, Jaco Peyper, Nigel Owens, Steve Walsh, Alain Rolland, George Clancy, Jérôme Graces, Romain Poite, Wayne Barnes, for example. There are those finding their feet like Lourens van der Merwe, Glen Jackson, JP Doyle, Pascal Gauzère, Leighton Hodges, Greg Garner, Ian Davies, John Lacey and Francisco Pastrana. Then there are those who are just standing up and taking their first steps – Stuart Berry, Chris Assmus, Mike Fraser, Dudley Phillips, Federico Anselmi, Luke Pearce, Marius Mitrea, Joaquin Montes, Juan Sylvestre and Claudio Antonio.
It's an exciting time for all those newish Test referees, but what about Stuart Berry – his very first Test and the champion All Blacks are playing.
At the other end of the time line, Alain Rolland will be ending an illustrious career in Cardiff.
Clearly, there are Tests of differing standards but the referees appointed, by country, are:
Argentina: Francesco Pastrana, Juan Sylvestre, Federico Anselmi, Claudio Antonio
Australia: Steve Walsh
Canada: Chris Assmus
England: Wayne Barnes, Greg Garner, JP Doyle, Luke Pearce
France: Jérôme Garcès, Pascal Gauzère, Romaine Poite
Ireland: Alain Rolland, George Clancy, John Lacey, Dudley Phillips
Italy: Marius Mitrea
New Zealand: Chris Pollock, Glen Jackson, Mike Fraser
South Africa: Craig Joubert, Jaco Peyper, Lourens van der Merwe, Stuart Berry
Uruguay: Joaquin Montes
Wales: Nigel Owens, Leighton Hodges, Ian Davies
It remains an unhappy situation Scotland with its deep rugby roots has no referee doing a Test match.
The chairman of the selection committee and IRB Council member for Scotland John Jeffrey said: “As always, we have made these selections based on performance and form. Every match is scrutinised by a performance reviewer and, importantly, by the referee himself. Selections are made by taking a close look at a number of key performances.
“An expanded November programme offers the selectors the opportunity to deliver more appointments for the high performance match official group. In considering the appointments, the committee took the view that the selection criteria should be based on a strategy of selecting the current high-level performers underpinned by a growth philosophy towards having the best match official team available for selection for RWC 2015.”
The IRB Match Official Selection Committee, chaired by Jeffrey, comprises former elite referees Lyndon Bray (SANZAR), Tappe Henning (SANZAR), Donal Courtney (European Rugby Cup) and Clayton Thomas (6 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.
2 November 2013
England vs Australia at Twickenham, England
Referee: George Clancy (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Romain Poite (France), Dudley Phillips (Ireland)
Television match official: Marshall Kilgore (Ireland)
Assessor: Tappe Henning (South Africa)
Japan vs New Zealand at Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground, Tokyo
Referee: Stuart Berry (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Angus Gardner (Australia), Andrew Lees (Australia)
Television match official: Matt Goddard (Australia)
Assessor: Michel Lamoulie (France)
3 November 2013
Canada vs Maori All Blacks at BMO Field, Toronto, Canada
Referee: Federico Anselmi (Argentina)
Assistant referees: tba (USA)
Assessor: John Sheehan (Ireland)
9 November 2013
England vs Argentina at Twickenham, England
Referee: Pascal Gauzère (France)
Assistant referees: Chris Pollock (New Zealand), Craig Joubert (South Africa)
Television match official: Iain Ramage (Scotland)
Assessor: Clayton Thomas (Wales)
Scotland vs Japan at Murrayfield, Edinburgh, Scotland
Referee: JP Doyle (England)
Assistant referees: Leighton Hodges (Wales), Greg Garner (England)
Television match official: Marshall Kilgore (Ireland)
Assessor: Donal Courtney (European Rugby Cup)
Wales vs South Africa at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales
Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland)
Assistant referees: George Clancy (Ireland), Marius Mitrea (Italy)
Television match official: Eric Gauzins (France)
Assessor: Lyndon Bray (SANZAR)
Romania vs Tonga at Stadionul National Arcul De Triumf, Bucharest
Referee: Francisco Pastrana (Argentina)
Assistant referees: Andrew Mcmenemy (Scotland), tba (Scotland)
Television match official: Alan Falzone (Italy)
Assessor: Les Peard (Wales)
Ireland vs Samoa at Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland
Referee: Steve Walsh (Australia)
Assistant referees: Wayne Barnes (England), Luke Pearce (England)
Television match official: Carlo Damasco (Italy)
Assessor: Lyndon Bray (SANZAR)
USA vs Maori All Blacks at PPL Park, Philadelphia, USA
Referee: Chris Assmus (Canada)
Assistant referees: tba (Canada)
Television match official: tbs (Canada)
Assessor: Bertie Smith (Ireland)
Georgia vs Canada at Dinamo Arena, Tbilisi, Georgia
Referee: Lourens van der Merwe (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Dudley Phillips (Ireland), Vlad Iordachescu (Romania)
Television match official: Geoff Warren (England)
Assessor: Les Peard (Wales)
Portugal vs Fiji at National Stadium, Lisbon, Portugal
Referee: Juan Sylvestre (Argentina)
Assistant referees: Ian Davies (Wales), tba (Wales)
Chile vs Spain at German Becker Stadium, Temuco, Chile
Referee: Claudio Antonio (Argentina)
Assistant referees: tba (Argentina)
Italy vs Australia in Turin, Italy
Referee: Glen Jackson (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Romain Poite (France), John Lacey (Ireland)
Television match official: Graham Hughes (England)
Assessor: Donal Courtney (European Rugby Cup)
France vs New Zealand at Stade de France
Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Nigel Owens (Wales), Stuart Berry (South Africa)
Television match official: Jim Yuille (Scotland)
Assessor: Tappe Henning (South Africa)
15 November 2013
French Barbarians vs Samoa Stade Marcel-Michelin, Clermont, France
Referee: JP Doyle (England)
Assistant referees: tba (France)
Assessor: Clayton Thomas (Wales)
Russia vs Japan Eirias Stadium, Colwyn Bay, Wales
Referee: Luke Pearce (England)
Assistant referees: tba (Wales)
16 November 2013
France vs Tonga Stade Oceane, Le Havre, France
Referee: Glen Jackson (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Wayne Barnes (England), Juan Sylvestre (Argentina)
Television match official: Alan Falzone (Italy)
Assessor: Clayton Thomas (Wales)
Italy vs Fiji Stadio Zini, Cremona, Italy
Referee: Leighton Hodges (Wales)
Assistant referees: Jaco Peyper (South Africa), Joaquin Montes (Uruguay)
Television match official: Eric Gauzins (France)
Assessor: Tappe Henning (South Africa)
England vs New Zealand Twickenham, England
Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Nigel Owens (Wales), Francisco Pastrana (Argentina)
Television match official: Gareth Simmonds (Wales)
Assessor: Clayton Thomas (Wales)
Wales vs Argentina Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales
Referee: John Lacey (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Steve Walsh (Australia), Lourens van der Merwe (South Africa)
Television match official: Simon McDowell (Ireland)
Assessor: Lyndon Bray (SANZAR)
Ireland vs Australia at Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland
Referee: Chris Pollock (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Romain Poite (France), Stuart Berry (South Africa)
Television match official: Geoff Warren (England)
Assessor: Tappe Henning (South Africa)
Georgia vs USA at Rustavi Stadium, Tbilisi, Georgia
Referee: Mike Fraser (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Ian Davies (Wales), tba (Wales)
Television match official: Carlo Damasco (Italy)
Assessor: Joël Dumé (France)
Romania vs Canada at Stadionul National Arcul De Triumf, Bucharest
Referee: Greg Garner (England)
Assistant referees: Marius Mitrea (Italy), tba (Italy)
Television match official: Jim Yuille (Scotland)
Assessor: Jim Fleming (Scotland)
Uruguay vs Spain at Estadio Charrua, Montevideo, Uruguay
Referee: Chris Assmus (Canada)
Assistant referees: tba (Uruguay)
17 November 2013
Scotland vs South Africa at Murrayfield, Edinburgh, Scotland
Referee: Jérôme Garcès (France)
Assistant referees: Pascal Gauzère (France), Dudley Phillips (Ireland)
Television match official: Marshall Kilgore (Ireland)
Assessor: Donal Courtney (European Rugby Cup)
22 November 2013
Wales vs Tonga at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales
Referee: Mike Fraser (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Craig Joubert (South Africa), Luke Pearce (England)
Television match official: Carlo Damasco (Italy)
Assessor: Clayton Thomas (Wales)
23 November 2013
France vs South Africa at Stade De France, Paris, France
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Assistant referees: Glen Jackson (New Zealand), Leighton Hodges (Wales)
Television match official: Iain Ramage (Scotland)
Assessor: Lyndon Bray (SANZAR)
Italy vs Argentina at Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy
Referee: Chris Pollock (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: George Clancy (Ireland), JP Doyle (England)
Television match official: Gareth Simmonds (Wales)
Assessor: Donal Courtney (European Rugby Cup)
Scotland vs Australia at Murrayfield, Edinburgh, Scotland
Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Pascal Gauzère (France), Francisco Pastrana (Argentina)
Television match official: Geoff Warren (England) Lyndon Bray (SANZAR)
Georgia vs Samoa at Locomotive Stadium, Tbilisi, Georgia
Referee: Romain Poite (France)
Assistant referees: Andrew Mcmenemy (Scotland), Vlad Iordachescu (Romania)
Television match official: Eric Gauzins (France)
Assessor: Donal Courtney (European Rugby Cup)
Romania vs Fiji at Stadionul National Arcul De Triumf, Bucharest
Referee: Dudley Phillips (Ireland)
Assistant referees: tba (Ireland)
Television match official: Simon McDowell (Ireland)
Assessor: Patrick Robin (France)
Spain vs Japan at Madrid, Spain
Referee: Joaquin Montes (Uruguay)
Assistant referees: tba (France)
Russia vs USA at Allianz Park, North London, England
Referee: Marius Mitrea (Italy)
Assistant referees: tba (England)
Portugal vs Canada at National Stadium, Lisbon, Portugal
Referee: Ian Davies (Wales)
Assistant referees: tba (Wales)
24 November 2013
Ireland vs New Zealand at Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant referees: Jérôme Garcès (France), Greg Garner (England)
Television match official: Graham Hughes (England)
Assessor: Donal Courtney (European Rugby Cup)
30 November 2013
Wales vs Australia at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Assistant referees: Alain Rolland (Ireland), John Lacey (Ireland)
Television match official: Jim Yuille (Scotland)
Assessor: Clayton Thomas (Wales)
Barbarians vs Fiji at Twickenham, England
Referee: Pascal Gauzère (France)
Assistant referees: tba (England)
Television match official: tba (England)
Assessor: Tappe Henning (South Africa)
