WORLD RUGBY HAS this morning announced the referee appointments for the 33 Test matches which will take place over the course of next month.
Ireland’s much-anticipated clash with New Zealand in Chicago’s Solider Field on 5 November will mark the start of the busy international schedule, with Frenchman Mathieu Raynal set to take charge.
The 35-year-old, who has refereed eight international matches previously, showed CJ Stander a red card during Ireland’s victory over South Africa in the first Test in June.
Luke Pearce and Ben Whitehouse will run the lines for the first meeting of Ireland and the All Blacks since 2013 while Rowan Kitt has been named Television Match Official.
For the return fixture in Dublin on 19 November, South African Jaco Peyper will be in charge with Raynal on touch judge duties.
Marius Van Der Westhuizen will be the referee for Ireland’s meeting with Canada at the Aviva Stadium and Jerome Garces will officiate the final game of the Autumn series against Australia on 26 November.
Ireland’s John Lacey has been appointed to referee the meeting of Italy and Tonga in Padova while Peter Fitzgibbon, Simon McDowell, Dudley Phillips, Andrew Brace and David Wilkinson will touch judge games throughout the month.
Full list of appointments can be viewed here.
- 5 November: Ireland v New Zealand (Solider Field) – Mathieu Raynal (France)
- 12 November: Ireland v Canada (Aviva Stadium) – Marius Van Der Westhuizen (SA)
- 19 November: Ireland v New Zealand (Aviva Stadium) – Jaco Peyper (SA)
- 26 November: Ireland v Australia (Aviva Stadium) – Jerome Garces (France)
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