Referees for mid-year Tests
A tale of many Tests
The IRB has appointed referees for the mid-year Tests in the Southern Hemisphere, the first appointments from the new panel of referees and the new support panel of touch judges and television match officials.
Included in the list of matches are Tri-Nations matches, Rugby World Cup qualifiers, and Pacific Five Nations matches.
In addition to the Test appointments, the IRB has appointed four referees to officiate at the IRB Women’s Rugby World Cup 2006 at Edmonton, Canada in September: George Ayoub (Australia), Lyndon Bray (New Zealand), Malcolm Changleng (Scotland) and Simon McDowell (Ireland). They will be supplemented by further appointments to be made known in May.
Four referees were selected to officiate at the new IRB Nations Cup in Portugal in June between Argentina A, Italy A, Portugal and Russia: Federico Cuesta (Argentina), Carlo Damasco (Italy), Peter Fitzgibbon (Ireland|) and Andrew MacPherson (Scotland). Peter Fitzgibbon refereed the B Final at the recent IRB Under 19 World Championships in Dubai between England and France, while Andrew MacPherson refereed the Final between Australia and New Zealand.
Appointments:
28 May
England vs Barbarians in London
Referee: Donal Courtney (Ireland)
Assessor: Doug Kerr (Scotland)
31 May
Scotland vs Barbarians in Edinburgh
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Assessor: Steve Hilditch (Ireland)
3 June
Fiji vs New Zealand A in Fiji
Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa)
Assessor: Sand MacNeill (Australia)
4 June
Japan vs Tonga in Fukuoka
Referee: Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand)
Georgia vs Barbarians in Georgia
Referee: Tony Spreadbury (England)
9 June
Samoa vs New Zealand A in Auckland
Referee: Marius Jonker (South Africa)
Assessor: Stuart Beissel (New Zealand)
10 June
Tonga vs Fiji in Sydney
Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa)
Assessor: Ian Scotney (Australia)
New Zealand vs Ireland in Hamilton
Referee: Stuart Dickinson (Australia)
Touch judges: Matt Goddard (Australia), George Ayoub (Australia)
Television match official: Brett Bowden (Australia)
Assessor: Stuart Beissel (New Zealand)
South Africa vs Scotland in Durban
Referee: Donal Courtney (Ireland)
Touch judges: Joël Jutge (France), Rob Debney (England)
Television match official: Simon MacDowell (Ireland)
Assessor: Jim Bailey (Wales)
Argentina vs Wales in Argentina
Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland)
Touch judges: Dave Pearson (England), Eric Darrière (France)
Television match official: Giulio De Santis (Italy)
Assessor: Frans Muller (South Africa)
11 June
Australia vs England in Sydney
Referee: Alan Lewis (Ireland)
Touch judges: Steve Walsh (New Zealand), Kelvin Deaker (New Zealand)
Television match official: Craig Joubert (South Africa)
Assessor: Bob Francis (New Zealand)
Japan vs Italy in Tokyo
Referee: Scott Young (Australia)
Touch judges: Lyndon Bray (New Zealand), Paul Marks (Australia)
17 June
New Zealand A vs Tonga in Auckland
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Assessor: Bob Francis (New Zealand)
New Zealand vs Ireland in Auckland
Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa)
Touch judges: Matt Goddard (Australia), Brett Bowden (Australia)
Television match official: Paul Marks (Australia)
Assessor: Stuart Beissel (New Zealand)
South Africa vs Scotland in Port Elizabeth
Referee: Tony Spreadbury (England)
Touch judges: Stuart Dickinson (Australia), Simon MacDowell (Ireland)
Television match official: Rob Debney (England)
Assessor: Jim Bailey (Wales)
Argentina vs Wales in Argentina
Referee: Dave Pearson (England)
Touch judges: Alain Rolland (Ireland), Giulio De Santis (Italy)
Television match official: Eric Darrière (France)
Assessor: Frans Muller (South Africa)
Australia vs England in Melbourne
Referee: Steve Walsh (New Zealand)
Touch judges: Kelvin Deaker (New Zealand), Lyndon Bray (New Zealand)
Television match official: Gary Wise (New Zealand)
Assessor: Sand MacNeill (Australia)
Romania vs France in Bucharest
Referee: Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand)
Touch judges: Malcolm Changleng, David Changleng (both Scotland)
Assessor: Doug Kerr (Scotland)
Fiji vs Italy in Fiji
Referee: Marius Jonker (South Africa)
Touch judges: George Ayoub (Australia), Gary Wise (New Zealand)
Assessor: Ian Scotney (Australia)
18 June
Samoa vs Japan in Auckland
Referee: Matt Goddard (Australia)
Assessor: Bob Francis (New Zealand)
23 June
Cook Islands vs Tonga in Cook Islands
Referee: Paul Honiss (New Zealand)
Touch judges: Marius Jonker (South Africa), Gary Wise (New Zealand)
24 June
Australia vs Ireland in Perth
Referee: Kelvin Deaker (New Zealand)
Touch judges: Steve Walsh, Bryce Lawrence (both New Zealand)
Television match official: Lyndon Bray (New Zealand)
Assessor: Dick Byres (Australia)
Argentina vs New Zealand in Buenos Aires
Referee: Nigel Whitehouse (Wales)
Touch judges: Dave Pearson (England), Eric Darrière (France)
Television match official: Giulio De Santis (Italy)
Assessor: Frans Muller (South Africa)
South Africa vs France in Cape Town
Referee: Stuart Dickinson (Australia)
Touch judges: Tony Spreadbury, Rob Debney (both England)
Television match official: Simon MacDowell (Ireland)
Assessor: Jim Bailey (Wales)
Barbados vs Canada in Barbados
Referee: Malcolm Changleng (Scotland)
Touch judges: David Changleng (Scotland), Graham Bullen (USA)
New Zealand A vs Japan in Dunedin
Referee: Christophe Berdos (France)
Assessor: Bob Francis (New Zealand)
Fiji vs Samoa in Fiji
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Assessor: Ian Scotney (Australia)
1 July
USA vs Barbados in San Francisco
Referee: David Changleng (Scotland)
Touch judges: Malcolm Changleng (Scotland), Phil Smith (Canada)
Chile vs Argentina in Chile
Referee: Matt Goddard (Australia)
Touch judges: Nigel Owens (Wales), Uruguay appointment
Assessor: Carlos Molinari (Argentina)
Tonga vs Samoa in Teufavia
Referee: Christophe Berdos (France)
Assessor: Dick Byres (Australia)
Japan vs Fiji in Osaka
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
8 July
Argentina vs Uruguay in Argentina
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Touch judges: Matt Goddard (Australia), Chile appointment
Assessor: Carlos Molinari (Argentina)
Tonga vs Cook Islands in Tonga
Referee: Kelvin Deaker (New Zealand)
Touch judges: Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand), Gary Wise (New Zealand)
New Zealand vs Australia in Christchurch
Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa)
Touch judges: Craig Joubert, Marius Jonker (both South Africa)
Television match official: Mark Lawrence (South Africa)
Assessor: Steve Hilditch (Ireland)
15 July
Australia vs South Africa in Brisbane
Referee: Paul Honiss (New Zealand)
Touch judges: Steve Walsh, Lyndon Bray (both New Zealand)
Television match official: Gary Wise (New Zealand)
Assessor: Steve Hilditch (Ireland)
22 July
New Zealand vs South Africa in Wellington
;Joël Jutge (France)
Touch judges: Alain Rolland (Ireland), Stuart Dickinson (Australia)
Television match official: George Ayoub (Australia)
Assessor: Steve Hilditch (Ireland)
Uruguay vs Chile in Uruguay
Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa)
Touch judges: Daniel Jabase, Federico Cuesta (both Argentina)
Assessor: Carlos Molinari (Argentina)
29 July
Australia vs New Zealand in Brisbane
Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland)
Touch judges: Joël Jutge (France), Marius Jonker (South Africa)
Television match official: Willie Roos (South Africa)
Assessor: Dick Byres (Australia)
5 August
Australia vs South Africa in Sydney
Referee: Joël Jutge (France)
Touch judges: Paul Honiss, Kelvin Deaker (both New Zealand)
Television match official: Lyndon Bray (New Zealand)
Assessor: Dick Byres (Australia)
12 August
Canada vs USA in Newfoundland
Referee: Christophe Berdos (France)
19 August
New Zealand vs Australia in Auckland
Referee: Chris White (England)
Touch judges: Jonathan Kaplan, Craig Joubert (both South Africa)
Television match official: Willie Roos (South Africa)
Assessor: Bob Francis (New Zealand)
26 August
South Africa vs New Zealand in Pretoria
Referee: Alan Lewis (Ireland)
Touch judges: Chris White (England), Hugh Watkins (Wales)
Television match official: Eric Darrière (France)
Assessor: Michel Lamoulie (France)
2 September
South Africa vs New Zealand in Rustenburg
Referee: Chris White (England)
Touch judges: Alan Lewis (Ireland), Eric Darrière (France)
Television match official: Hugh. Watkins (Wales)
Assessor: Michel Lamoulie (France)
9 September
South Africa vs Australia in Johannesburg
Referee: Steve Walsh (New Zealand)
Touch judges: Alan Lewis (Ireland), Hugh Watkins (Wales)
Television match official: Eric Darrière (France)
Assessor: Michel Lamoulie (France)