IRB name November Test refs
The International Rugby Board have announced the 21 referees who will take change of the matches during the November Test season.
The International Rugby Board have announced the 21 referees who will take change of the matches during the November Test season.
South Africa and Ireland will each have four referees in action in the 35 matches to take place in the North Hemisphere. South African referees will blow the most matches in November – eight in all – while their Irish and New Zealand counter parts will be in charge in six and four games respectively.
Kiwi Bryce Lawrence will be in charge of England's first match at Twickenham against Australia while Englishman Wayne Barnes will blow the whistle in South Africa's visit to France in Toulouse.
South African Jonathan Kaplan, considered by many to be the world's best referee, will be the man in the middle for Ireland v Australia and England v New Zealand.
Craig Joubert will handle New Zealand's visit to the Millennium Stadium while French-speaking Irishman Alain Rolland will oversee the All Blacks' game against France in Marseille.
First up, Mark Lawrence will ref the final Bledisloe Cup game in Tokyo.
A noted absentee amongst the list is Australian Matt Goddard.
Test Matches:
31 October 2009
New Zealand v Australia at Olympic Stadium, Tokyo, Japan
Referee: Mark Lawrence (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Joubert, Taizo Hirabayashi (Japan)
Television match officials: Akihisa Aso (Japan)
Assessor: Bob Francis (New Zealand)
7 November 2009
England v Australia at Twickenham, London
Referee: Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Nigel Owens (Wales), Tim Hayes (Wales)
Television match officials: Jim Yuille (Scotland)
Assessor: Michel Lamoulie (France)
Wales v New Zealand at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa)
Assistant referees:Mark Lawrence (South Africa), Stuart Terheege (England)
Television match officials: Graham Hughes (England)
Assessor: Bob Francis (New Zealand) / Steve Hilditch (Ireland)
Portugal v Namibia in Lisbon
Referee: Chris White (England)
13 November 2009
France v South Africa in Toulouse, France
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Assistant referees: George Clancy (Ireland), James Jones (Wales)
Television match officials: Graham Hughes (England)
Assessor: Steve Hilditch (Ireland)
Wales v Samoa at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
Referee: Peter Fitzgibbon (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Dave Pearson (England), Rob Debney (England)
Television match officials: Geoff Warren (England)
Assessor: Bob Francis (New Zealand)
13/14 November 2009
Japan v Canada in Japan
Referee: Keith Brown (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Vinny Munro (New Zealand), Taizo Hirabayashi (Japan)
Assessor: Scott Young (Australia)
England v Argentina at Twickenham, London
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant referees: Alan Lewis (Ireland), Peter Allan (Scotland)
Television match officials: Hugh Watkins (Wales)
Assessor: Andrew Cole (Australia)
Scotland v Fiji at Murrayfield, Edinburgh
Referee: Chris White (England)
Assistant referees: Peter Fitzgibbon (Ireland), Simon McDowell (Ireland)
Television match officials: Giulio De Santis (Italy)
Assessor: Tappe Henning (South Africa)
14 November 2009
Italy v New Zealand at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan
Referee: Stuart Dickinson (Australia)
Assistant referees: Alain Rolland (Ireland), David Changleng (Scotland)
Television match officials: Tim Hayes (Wales)
Assessor: Michel Lamoulie (France)
15 November 2009
Ireland v Australia at Croke Park, Dublin
Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Christophe Berdos (France), Andrew Small (England)
Television match officials: Geoff Warren (England)
Assessor: Bob Francis (New Zealand)
21 November 2009
Japan v Canada at Chichibunomiya, Tokyo, Japan
Referee: Vinny Munro (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Keith Brown (New Zealand), Taizo Hirabayashi (Japan)
Assessor: Scott Young (Australia)
England v New Zealand at Twickenham, London
Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Alan Lewis (Ireland), Simon McDowell (Ireland)
Television match officials: Nigel Whitehouse (Wales)
Assessor: Patrick Robin (France)
Wales v Argentina at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
Referee: George Clancy (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Christophe Berdos (France), David Changleng (Scotland)
Television match officials: Jim Yuille (Scotland)
Assessor: Michel Lamoulie (France)
Italy v South Africa at Stadio Friuli, Udine
Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland)
Assistant referees: James Jones (Wales), Peter Allan (Scotland)
Television match officials: Hugh Watkins (Wales)
Assessor: Douglas Kerr (Scotland)
Ireland v Fiji at Royal Dublin Society, Dublin
Referee: Marius Jonker (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Carlo Damasco (Italy), Tim Hayes (Wales)
Television match officials: Giulio De Santis (Italy)
Assessor: Steve Hilditch (Ireland)
France v Samoa at Stade de France, France
Referee: Dave Pearson (England)
Assistant referees: Rob Debney (England), Stuart Terheege (England)
Television match officials: Geoff Warren (England)
Assessor: David Herbert (Wales)
Scotland v Australia at Murrayfield, Edinburgh
Referee: Romain Poite (France)
Assistant referees: Nigel Owens (Wales), Jeroem Garces (France)
Television match officials: Graham Hughes (England)
Assessor: Tappe Henning (South Africa)
27/28 November 2009
Portugal v Tonga at Lisbon, Portugal
Referee: James Jones (Wales)
Canada v Russia at Vancouver, Canada
Referee: tbc
28 November 2009
Ireland v South Africa at Croke Park, Dublin
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant referees: Chris White (England), Carlo Damasco (Italy)
Television match officials: Hugh Watkins (Wales)
Assessor: Steve Hilditch (Ireland)
Scotland v Argentina at Murrayfield, Edinburgh
Referee: Alan Lewis (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Peter Fitzgibbon (Ireland), Stuart Terheege (England)
Television match officials: Tim Hayes (Wales)
Assessor: Michel Lamoulie (France)
Italy v Samoa at Stadio Del Duca, Ascoli
Referee: Christophe Berdos (France)
Assistant referees: James Jones (Wales), Pascal Gauzere (France)
Television match officials: Jim Yuille (Scotland)
Assessor: Tappe Henning (South Africa)
France v New Zealand at <