SA refs only two from outside Six Nations
REFEREES: South Africa’s two leading referees, Jaco Peyper and Marius van der Westhuizen, are the only two referees officials from the Southern Hemisphere appointed to officiate in the Six-Nations Championship that kicks off in February.
Peyper, who has been appointed for the plum England versus France match at Twickenham on 13 March is one of the nine referees who will officiated in the 15 matches.
This match should be a humdinger after defending champions England were taken well into the second stanza of extra time in the final of the recent Nations Cup competition.
Peyper’s second match is that between Scotland and Italy at Murrayfield the following week.
Van der Westhuizen will be the Television Match Official (TMO) in both matches controlled by Peyper.
Peyper, who has not added to his total of 45 test matches as a referee due to the Vovid-19 travel restrictions imposed, will referee his first test match in more than year when he runs out on Twickenham.
He is one of the world’s top referees and was one of 12 referees selected for each of the last two World Cups in 2015 and 2019.
Peyper was the referee for the 2019 Rugby World Cup quarterfinal between Wales and France and sent off France's Sébastien Vahaamahina for an elbow shot.
After the match a photograph was circulated on social media, showing him posing with Wales fans with his elbow jokingly on to the head of one of the fans, and he was not considered for a World Cup semi-final the week after.
Ireland’s Joy Neville will continue to perform Television Match Official duties, having been selected for two matches.
2021 Six Nations refereeing appointments
ROUND
Italy v France (Stadio Olimpico, 6 February)
Referee: Matthew Carley (England)
AR 1: Mike Adamson (Scotland)
AR 2: Christophe Ridley (England)
TMO: Karl Dickson (England)
England v Scotland (Twickenham, 6 February)
Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland)
AR 1: Pascal Gauzere (France)
AR 2: Mathieu Raynal (France)
TMO: Joy Neville (Ireland)
Wales v Ireland (Principality Stadium, 7 February)
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
AR 1: Luke Pearce (England)
AR 2: Alex Ruiz (France)
TMO: Tom Foley (England)
ROUND 2
England v Italy (Twickenham, 13 February)
Referee: Mike Adamson (Scotland)
AR 1: Romain Poite (France)
AR 2: Ben Blain (Scotland)
TMO: Joy Neville (Ireland)
Scotland v Wales (Murrayfield, 13 February)
Referee: Matthew Carley (England)
AR 1: Pascal Gauzere (France)
AR 2: Andrea Piardi (Italy)
TMO: Karl Dickson (England)
Ireland v France (Aviva Stadium, 14 February)
Referee: Luke Pearce (England)
AR 1: Wayne Barnes (England)
AR 2: Christophe Ridley (England)
TMO: Tom Foley (England)
ROUND 3
Italy v Ireland (Stadio Olimpico, 27 February)
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France)
AR 1: Mike Adamson (Scotland)
AR 2: Craig Evans (Wales)
TMO: Romain Poite (France)
Wales v England (Principality Stadium, 27 February)
Referee: Pascal Gauzere (France)
AR 1: Andrew Brace (Ireland)
AR 2: Frank Murphy (Ireland)
TMO: Alex Ruiz (France)
France v Scotland (Stade de France, 28 February)
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
AR 1: Matthew Carley (England)
AR 2: Andrea Piardi (Italy)
TMO: Tom Foley (England)
ROUND 4
Italy v Wales (Stadio Olimpico, 13 March)
Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland)
AR 1: Pascal Gauzere (France)
AR 2: Tom Foley (England)
TMO: Frank Murphy (Ireland)
England v France (Twickenham, 13 March)
Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)
AR 1: Mike Adamson (Scotland)
AR 2: Craig Evans (Wales)
TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa)
Scotland v Ireland (Murrayfield, 14 March)
Referee: Romain Poite (France)
AR 1: Mathieu Raynal (France)
AR 2: Andrea Piardi (Italy)
TMO: Alex Ruiz (France)
ROUND 5
Scotland v Italy (Murrayfield, 20 March)
Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)
AR 1: Karl Dickson (England)
AR 2: Craig Evans (Wales)
TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa)
Ireland v England (Aviva Stadium, 20 March)
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France)
AR 1: Pascal Gauzere (France)
AR 2: Alex Ruiz (France)
TMO: Romain Poite (France)
France v Wales (Stade de France, 20 March)
Referee: Luke Pearce (England)
AR 1: Matthew Carley (England)
AR 2: Christophe Ridley (England)
TMO: Wayne Barnes (England)