RWC 2019: Referees for Quarterfinals
World Rugby has announced the match officials for the 2019 quarterfinals of its World Cup, which is now down to its last six matches after 37 pool matches.
The referees chosen are regarded as the best performers in the pool matches. They are Jérôme Garcès of France, Nigel Owens of Wales, Jaco Peyper of South Africa and Wayne Barnes of England. They are an experienced quartet with a total of 285 Tests amongst the four.
Owens has refereed the most Tests in the game’s history – 76 in all. At 48 he is also the oldest of the four. Garcès is 45 and Barnes 40. Peyper, the youngest at 39, will referee his 50th Test on Sunday. He and Barnes are both members of the legal profession.
All four of them were at the 2015 World Cup when Owens refereed the final while Graces and Barnes referees semifinals.
The referees in 2019 have not had an easy time of it, especially after early on they were subject to a public rebuke by World Rugby, which found them generally disappointing.
Of the quarter final appointments, World Rugby chairman, Sir Bill Beaumont, said: “Every team takes time to settle at a major event and I am delighted with how this group of exceptional match officials have responded across the pool stage.
“They are the best of the best and have played their full part in what will be remembered as an incredible pool stage.
“I would like to congratulate Jérôme, Nigel, Jaco and Wayne, the assistant referees and TMOs and we now look forward to four compelling matches on the road to determining who will lift the Webb Ellis Cup on 2 November.”
The manager of referees at the World Cup, Alain Rolland, who refereed the 2007 World Cup final, said: “As a team, the match officials have worked hard to achieve consistency and clarity of decision-making during an exciting pool stage.
“While it is the referees who will get the recognition for the quarterfinal appointments, this is a team game. We have an excellent team of referees, assistant referees and TMOs with a strong culture of working together to elevate performances.
“As we are looking ahead to the knock-out stage, everyone remains in the reckoning for semis and finals selection.”
Quarterfinal Appointments
England vs Australia at Oita Stadium, Japan
Referee: Jérôme Garcès (France)
Assistant referees: Romain Poite (France), Mathieu Raynal (France)
Television match official: Ben Skeen (New Zealand)
New Zealand vs Ireland at Tokyo Stadium, Tokyo, Japan
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant referees: Pascal Gaüzère (France), Angus Gardner (Australia)
Television match official: Graham Hughes (England)
Wales vs France at Oita Stadium, Japan
Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Nic Berry (Australia), Paul Williams (New Zealand)
Television match official: Marius Jonker (South Africa)
Japan vs South Africa at Tokyo Stadium, Tokyo, Japan
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Assistant referees: Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand), Luke Pearce (England)
Television match official: Rowan Kitt (England)
