Five referees who have been included on the Rugby World Cup 2023 match official panel have been appointed to take charge of the Springboks’ Castle Lager Rugby Championship and RWC warm-up Tests in the build-up to the international extravaganza 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 Castle Lager Rugby Championship clash against Australia in Pretoria on Saturday 8 July, while Mathieu Raynal (France) will hold the whistle in their Test against New Zealand in Auckland on Saturday 15 July. 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 5 August, with Brace officiating their clash against Wales in Cardiff on Saturday 19 August, and Matthew Carley (England) taking charge of the highly-anticipated match against the All Blacks in London on Friday 25 August.

Peyper, meanwhile, will officiate three internationals: the Castle Lager Rugby Championship match between Australia and Argentina in Sydney (Saturday 15 July), where Jonker will be on TMO duty; and two Rugby World Cup warm-up games between Georgia and the USA (venue to be confirmed, on Saturday 19 August), and England vs Fiji (in London on Saturday 26 August).

Jonker will also serve as the TMO in the Bledisloe Cup encounter between New Zealand and Australia in Dunedin on Saturday, 5 August. To view the full match official appointments, click here.

Issued by SA Rugby Communications

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