Boks to put RWC refs on 'trial'
NEWS: Five referees who have been included on the World Cup 2023 match official panel have been appointed to take charge of the Springboks' Rugby Championship and RWC warm-up Tests - in the build-up to the global showpiece in France in September and October.
The two South African match officials who are on the RWC panel, Jaco Peyper (referee) and Marius Jonker (Television Match Official) were also handed a number of appointments for the international season, which kicks off in July.
Ben O'Keeffe (New Zealand) will officiate the Springboks' sold-out Rugby Championship clash against Australia in Pretoria on Saturday, July 8.
Mathieu Raynal (France) will hold the whistle in their Test against New Zealand in Auckland on Saturday, July 15.
Ireland's Andrew Brace will be taking charge of their final Test in the competition, against Argentina in Johannesburg on Saturday 29 July.
Nika Amashukeli (Georgia) will preside over the first of the Boks' three RWC warm-up games - against Argentina in Buenos Aires on Saturday, August 5, with Brace officiating their clash against Wales in Cardiff on Saturday, August 19, and Matthew Carley (England) taking charge of the highly-anticipated match against the All Blacks in London on Friday, August 25.
Peyper, meanwhile, will officiate three internationals: the Rugby Championship match between Australia and Argentina in Sydney (Saturday, July 15), where Jonker will be on TMO duty; and two World Cup warm-up games between Georgia and the USA (venue to be confirmed, on Saturday, August), and England vs Fiji (in London on Saturday 26 August).
19Jonker will also serve as the TMO in the Bledisloe Cup encounters between New Zealand and Australia in Dunedin on Saturday, 5 August.