The Emirates World Rugby Match Officials have been confirmed for The Rugby Championship 2025, which takes place between 16 August and 4 October.
A total of 11 referees representing six nations, and boasting 331 tests worth of experience, will take charge of the 12 matches. The 2025 edition of The Rugby Championship will see four of the world’s top eight-ranked teams battle it out across four continents and 11 cities.
Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand) will take charge of the opening match between South Africa and Australia at Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg on 16 August, with Andrea Piardi (Italy) to referee the last match between Argentina and South Africa at Allianz Stadium in Twickenham on 4 October.
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Highlights:
- Andrea Piardi will referee two matches, a year on from becoming the first Italian official to take charge of a Rugby Championship match.
- Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand) and Angus Gardner (Australia) are the most experienced referees on the panel with 50 tests.
- Three assistant referees will make their tournament debuts in Morné Ferreira (South Africa), Sam Grove-White (Scotland) and Angus Mabey (New Zealand), along with one Television Match Official in Andrew Jackson (England).
World Rugby High Performance 15s Match Officials Manager Joël Jutge said: “Our collective focus continues to be on delivering the best match officials for the world’s best tournaments. The Rugby Championship 2025 will include some of our most experienced match officials, while at the same time allowing others to gain experience in such a high-level tournament.
“Unashamedly our goal is ensuring we are fully prepared for Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 in Australia with the match officials’ team performing to its fullest potential, facilitating an exciting game for players and fans. The Rugby Championship represents a major milestone on the journey to Australia for match officials and anticipation is again high for the 2025 tournament as the top talent from Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa do battle for southern hemisphere supremacy.”