Referees confirmed for Springboks’ November Tests

JOHANNESBURG – Australian referee Angus Gardner will take charge of the Springboks’ opening Test of the Rugby Championship, against England at Twickenham on November 3.

World Rugby confirmed the appointment on Wednesday when it released the list of match officials for the November internationals.

With the start of the Rugby World Cup 2019 less than a year away, the matches provide important preparation for teams and match officials alike, and match official performances over the period will be taken into account when the World Rugby Match Officials Selection Committee meets to select the team for rugby’s showcase event.

The Springboks start their Outgoing Tour with a visit to Twickenham in London on November 3 when they face England in what will be the two teams’ fourth meeting this year. The South Africans won a close-fought Incoming Series 2-1 at home in June.

Welshman Nigel Owens will be the man in charge of the Springboks’ second tour match a week later, on November 10, against France in the Stade de France in Paris.

Nigel Owens will referee the Test between South Africa and France. Photo: Andrew Cornaga / www.Photosport.nz

Frenchman Romain Poite then takes charge of the Boks’ third tour fixture, when they take on Scotland on November 17 at BT Murrayfield in Edinburgh.

The Springboks then complete their tour a week later, on November 24, when they visit the Principality Stadium in Cardiff to take on Wales in their last Test game of the year, with Luke Pearce of England set to be the man in the middle.

Several South African match officials will also be in action during the very busy November schedule of international rugby fixtures. Jaco Peyper is one of the assistant referees while Marius Jonker is the TMO when England host the All Blacks on November 10 at Twickenham.

Peyper is also the referee for the England versus Wallabies clash on November 24 at Twickenham, where Jonker will operate as the TMO.

Peyper will also take charge of the Test between Hong Kong and Kenya on November 17 in Marseille, and Rasta Rasivhenge will referee the match between Russia and Namibia in the Kuban Stadium, Krasnodar in Russia on November 10.

And also on November 17, Jonker is TMO at Twickenham when England face Japan and Rashivenge has been assigned assistant referee duties in Gloucester where Uruguay are due to take on Fiji.