10 match official highlights for Rugby World Cup in France

World Rugby have confirmed the match official appointments for the 40 pool games at the upcoming 2023 Rugby World Cup in France. The team of 12 referees, seven assistant referees and seven television match officials represents nine nations and shares more than 700 Test appearances between them.

Here, RugbyPass picks out 10 highlights from the list of appointments:

1. Jaco Peyper (South Africa) will be assisted in 0the opening match between France and New Zealand on September 8 by Karl Dickson (England) and Christophe Ridley (England) with Tom Foley (England) as the television match official.

2. Wayne Barnes (England) is set to participate in a record fifth Rugby World Cup with New Zealand vs Uruguay on October 5 to be his 25th match as a referee in the tournament. Barnes has refereed 21 matches on the Rugby World Cup stage, the other 11 officials have 24 matches between them. 

3. The most-capped referee in Test history, Barnes is one of four officials who will referee four matches in the pool stage, the others being compatriots Luke Pearce and Dickson along with Mathieu Raynal (France).

4. Four referees will make their Rugby World Cup debuts in the middle: Andrew Brace (Ireland), Nika Amashukeli (Georgia), Matthew Carley (England) and Dickson (England).

5. Amashukeli, the first Georgian official in Rugby World Cup history, will take charge of Ireland vs Romania in Bordeaux on September 9 – 16 years after watching Ireland narrowly defeat Georgia at France 2007 on television as his introduction to rugby.

6. Joy Neville (Ireland), the first female match official in men’s Rugby World Cup history, will be a TMO for five matches, starting with Italy vs Namibia in Saint-Etienne on September 9.

7. Nic Berry (Australia) will be in the middle for Chile’s Rugby World Cup debut against Japan in Toulouse on September 10.

8. Angus Gardner (Australia) will take charge of South Africa’s opening match of their title defence, against Scotland in Marseille on September 10.

9. Portugal’s return after a 16-year absence against Wales in Nice on September 16 will be Dickson’s first RWC match as a referee.

10. Paul Williams (New Zealand) will referee the first all-South American match in Rugby World Cup history, Argentina vs Chile in Nantes on September 30.

• Click here to view the Rugby World Cup 2023 pool phase match official appointments