Recalled: Wayne Barnes
The International Rugby Board has announced the appointment of match officials for the Rugby Championship.
The appointments were made by the IRB Match Official Selection Committee following a detailed review of performances during the June Tests.
The IRB's commitment to promoting consistency by enabling movement in and out of the group and rewarding referees who are in form is reflected in the selection of nine match officials, with Wayne Barnes back after a strong Pacific Nations Cup.
The referees are: Alain Rolland (IRFU), Steve Walsh (ARU), Nigel Owens (WRU), Romain Poite (FFR), Wayne Barnes (RFU), George Clancy (IRFU), Jaco Peyper (SARU) and Craig Joubert (SARU).
The referees will also undertake assistant referee duties alongside a group of up-and-coming referees who have earned their place owing to their performances in recent Tests and at the IRB Junior World Championship in South Africa.
Rolland will make history when he referees the first match of the Rugby Championship when between Australia and New Zealand at the ANZ Stadium, Sydney on August 18.
On the same day Walsh also makes history when he referees Argentina's debut in a major annual Tier 1 competition when the Pumas face South Africa at Newlands in Cape Town.
World Cup 2011 Final referee Joubert will take charge of the third Bledisloe Cup match on October 20. Chris Pollock (NZRU) was unavailable for consideration owing to hip surgery.
See the full list of appointments here!
With thanks to the IRB
Comments
rugby_rockstar says...
Its almost funny (but not quite) just how un-inspiring this list is. you got SH fans bemoaning the inclusion of the NH refs, Me groaning in dispair at the inclusion of the likes of Steve Walsh who can't even ref a scrum put in properly or even worse is just plain cooked. While quality refs like Mark Lawence are ignored completely. the whole situation tells you, no matter what hemishpere you come from, there is zero consistancy in international rugby and rugby fans worry that their team are going to be unfairly dealt with by a whimsical, opinionated, baised individual who wants to see rugby played is a certain way and will make sure the side that plays that way wins. So, IRB, your refereeing stinks, and you come down on anyone connested to the sport who dares say as much. That not protecting the refs, thats telling everyone that they aren't accountable for their actions, they are above the law and do as they damn well please. thats not good for the sport because people think that their team are screwed even before they run onto the pitch. no honest competition means no sporting contest and the fans lose interest and walk away. Its an absolute mess but the IRB are not prepared to spend the money required to make refereeing more transparent. give the TMO more powers, invest in ball tracking technology. Stop turning a blind eye to unfashionable laws.
Posted 10:12 25th July 2012
Ramage says...
@ jontheref, I too am sad that Lawrence (Mark) is no longer refereeing International rugby at the top level.
Posted 12:32 20th July 2012
Ramage says...
Ok my test got through so I didnt say anything in that post to upset the editor so will have another go. unless the editor censored my former posts on this topic.
I too like Carpelone believe the most lucky referee on the panel and worst one there is Clancy. How this man continues to be appointed is beyond imagination. If Barnes and Kaplan can be dropped, then it amazes me how this rather slow both in physically and mentaly still keeps his place. I see others criticizing Barnes and yes he does have his faults, and Owens who I rate as one of the best apart from his incessant chatter in that soprano voice. Kaplan has been dropped others bag Poite but none of these fall to such depths as Clancy who by far is the worst referee on the panel. It says much about the luck of the Irish. How can a top referee not only allow a partisan TMO to draw attention to something outside his jurisdiction but to listen and rule on it clearly knowing his decision to be outside his jurisdiction. A decision made not in the heat of the moment at full pace but one after a long wait and time to reflect on being led astray by the partisan TMO Meuwessen. Shows many traits of a slow thinker or someone who has no faith in
his own decisions. Interesting he has been given NZ vs SA in Dunedin This time it will be home turf for the kiwis. I wonder how he will handle that pressure of such an important game or wilt as he is prone to do under the pressure. If I was to have to choose between Poite who comes under much criticism from the NH and Clancy I would choose Poite any day.
Posted 15:55 19th July 2012
jontheref says...
Good to see Mark Lawrence is not forgotten, saw the game he did in Madagascar on TV ast week.
Hope he can make a comeback to the top level, he is needed!
Funny how the ref bashing is mainly N v S!
I can see good and bad in both hemispheres, so being well balanced, probably with a chip on both shoulders!
:-)
Only just started watching S15, and there is some good refereeing, and some very ugly.
Just like up here.
Posted 11:51 12th July 2012
sandal says...
@Willy
You say: "People need to realise that ref's can go in and out of form like players and need to move on from a bad game a ref may have had 2/3 seasons ago.""
Really? What you say about form is surely true. But faults are not always a question of form.
Are you suggesting that Wayne Barnes has improved his fitness, gained speed, stopped getting in the way of the defence and no longer referees one team but not the other? These matters are not a question of form. No improvement in "form" will address such failings.
Though if Barnes has improved his fitness he might find it easier to spot the odd forward pass.
Posted 07:11 12th July 2012
logophile says...
Wayne Barnes and Nigel Owens are terrible refs in my opinion. Just terrible!! How do they continue to get gigs?
Mark Lawrence is still my favorite ref, wish he was still involved in international matches. Joubert is good, too. I also think Clancy has had a pretty good year of reffing.
Posted 20:50 11th July 2012
jontheref says...
Nice to see Jaco getting a game.
I liked the look of Andrew Lees in the Blues game last weekend as well.
As for bringing back kaplan, forget it.
If anyone should come back it is Mark lawrence.
Posted 09:20 11th July 2012
rugbylover says...
Wayne Barnes? A poor referee, a compound of confidence (arrogance?) in equal & inverse proportion to his actual ability [classic case]. A bad decision. Bring back Jonathan Kaplan.
Posted 14:08 10th July 2012
Ramage says...
Testing to see if my post goes through
Posted 12:45 10th July 2012
pierredelot1 says...
Clancy doesn't ignore rules to suit A Africa, cobblers. He ignores rules when the scrum contest gets too heated and he is unable to continue to control it. So he just gives up. Same with Poite, last season he was as the French say bizarre. The others its down to interpretation, but the idea of SH referees just to speed it up, concedes the fact that they ignore the laws in some cases to the detriment of the game. Sorry guys the set is important should be controlled properly and then at least Argentina will have a chance to show the SH sides what they can do. No suprises from them perhaps this season but once they get going life could be fun in years to come. They adore the set and the physicality whereas teams like Australia do their best to disrupt and create chaos to cover up their inability to hold the thing up. Open rugby is great but not in Union at the expense of great scrummaging.
Posted 11:28 08th July 2012
liam2me says...
Roman Poite is not just a useless official, he's actually dangerous, how he is considered a top official is beyond me
Posted 00:17 08th July 2012
jollyzinzan says...
Will be interesting to see how the NH refs get on as from a NH point of view Allain Rolland and Wayne Barnes are both very poor! and Nigel Owens, just loves the sound of his own voice.
From a NH fan, Steve Walsh ref the the ENG V SA Series, very well, long may it continue.
Posted 13:14 07th July 2012
bigb6969 says...
Carpelone says...well Clancy has a history of ignoring rules to favour South Africa..
Posted 19:24 06th July 2012
Herbman says...
@Willy, well said... if I may add to that, people also need to realize that refs' performances are continually monitored and reported on by the players and coaches involved in their games, so the "panel" must surely be legit.
In my opinion the standard of refereeing has improved drastically over the last decade. I just wish we could see more SH refs involved in this tournament, just to speed up the game a bit.
Posted 18:38 06th July 2012
Willy says...
Poite, Really still in the top 8???
Not much arguements with the other 7. People need to realise that ref's can go in and out of form like players and need to move on from a bad game a ref may have had 2/3 seasons ago.
Posted 17:19 06th July 2012
Carpelone says...
Surprise, surprise. The poorest referee Clancy is given New Zealand - Boks in New Zealand.
Posted 15:25 06th July 2012