World Rugby confirm match officials for July’s Nations Championship matches: Ben O’Keeffe and Nic Berry get two Tests
Referees Nic Berry and Ben O'Keeffe.
World Rugby has confirmed the match official appointments for the 2026 Nations Championship in the southern hemisphere this July.
The Nations Championship is a joint venture between Six Nations Rugby and SANZAAR and brings together 12 of the strongest teams in international rugby for a unique northern v southern hemisphere tournament format.
The first leg of the competition takes place mostly in the southern hemisphere this July before the north hosts fixtures in November before the Finals Weekend in London.
Ben O’Keeffe and Nic Berry get two Tests as Hollie Davidson hits 50
Ahead of the tournament, World Rugby have announced the 16 referees who will officiate the 18 matches played in July, with New Zealand’s Ben O’Keeffe and Australia’s Nic Berry set to take charge of two Tests apiece.
O’Keeffe will be joined by Karl Dickson, Andrea Piardi, Matteo Liperini and Glenn Newman in Australia, with the New Zealander taking charge of the Wallabies versus Ireland as well as Japan against France. Piardi will be the man in the middle for Japan’s clash with Ireland while Englishman Luke Pearce will referee New Zealand versus France at One New Zealand Stadium in Christchurch.
As for Berry, his officiating team will consist of Luc Ramos, Sam Grove-White, Ian Tempest and Andrew Jackson. The Australian will officiate Japan against Italy as well as New Zealand versus Ireland, while Frenchman Ramos takes charge of the All Blacks against Italy in Wellington.
New Zealand’s James Doleman will be in charge of the highly-anticipated match between South Africa and England, with Andrew Brace and Pierre Brousset being his assistants for the clash. Brousset will then take the whistle for South Africa versus Scotland and Brace the Boks’ meeting with Wales.
Elsewhere, Hollie Davidson will become the first Scottish official to referee 50 Tests when she takes charge of Fiji v England in Liverpool. Davidson will be the third female – and 19th official in history – to reach the milestone and joins Matthew Carley (England) and Aimee Barrett-Theron (South Africa) in doing so in 2026.
Nations Championship 2026 match officials appointments
Australia v Ireland
Date: Saturday, 4 July, 2026
Venue: Allianz Stadium, Sydney
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (NZR)
Assistant Referees: Karl Dickson (RFU) and Andrea Piardi (FIR)
TMO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)
FPRO: Glenn Newman (NZR)
New Zealand v France
Date: Saturday, 4 July, 2026
Venue: One New Zealand Stadium, Christchurch
Referee: Luke Pearce (RFU)
Assistant Referees: Christophe Ridley (RFU) and Katsuki Furuse (JRFU)
TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (SARU)
FPRO: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)
South Africa v England
Date: Saturday, 4 July, 2026
Venue: Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg
Referee: James Doleman (NZR)
Assistant Referees: Andrew Brace (IRFU) and Pierre Brousset (FFR)
TMO: Richard Kelly (NZR)
FPRO: Olly Hodges (IRFU)
Argentina v Scotland
Date: Saturday, 4 July, 2026
Venue: Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes, Córdoba
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (GRU)
Assistant Referees: Paul Williams (NZR) and Adam Leal (RFU)
TMO: Brett Cronan (RA)
FPRO: Eric Gauzins (FFR)
Japan v Italy
Date: Saturday, 4 July, 2026
Venue: Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium, Tokyo
Referee: Nic Berry (RA)
Assistant Referees: Luc Ramos (FFR) and Sam Grove-White (SRU)
TMO: Ian Tempest (RFU)
FPRO: Andrew Jackson (RFU)
Fiji v Wales
Date: Saturday, 4 July, 2026
Venue: Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff, Wales
Referee: Eoghan Cross (IRFU)
Assistant Referees: Matthew Carley (RFU) and Hollie Davidson (SRU)
TMO: Leo Colgan (IRFU)
FPRO: Mike Adamson (SRU)
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Australia v France
Date: Saturday, 11 July, 2026
Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Referee: Karl Dickson (RFU)
Assistant Referees: Christophe Ridley (RFU) and Katsuki Furuse (JRFU)
TMO: Andrew Jackson (RFU)
FPRO: Glenn Newman (NZR)
New Zealand v Italy
Date: Saturday, 11 July, 2026
Venue: SKY Stadium, Wellington
Referee: Luc Ramos (FFR)
Assistant Referees: Nic Berry (RA) and Luke Pearce (RFU)
TMO: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)
FPRO: Marius van der Westhuizen (SARU)
South Africa v Scotland
Date: Saturday, 11 July, 2026
Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Referee: Pierre Brousset (FFR)
Assistant Referees: James Doleman (NZR) and Andrew Brace (IRFU)
TMO: Richard Kelly (NZR)
FPRO: Olly Hodges (IRFU)
Argentina v Wales
Date: Saturday, 11 July, 2026
Venue: Estadio San Juan de Bicentenario, San Juan
Referee: Paul Williams (NZR)
Assistant Referees: Angus Gardner (RA) and Nika Amashukeli (GRU)
TMO: Eric Gauzins (FFR)
FPRO: Brett Cronan (RA)
Japan v Ireland
Date: Saturday, 11 July, 2026
Venue: Newcastle, Australia
Referee: Andrea Piardi (FIR)
Assistant Referees: Ben O’Keeffe (NZR) and Morné Ferreira (SARU)
TMO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)
FPRO: Ian Tempest (RFU)
Fiji v England
Date: Saturday, 11 July, 2026
Venue: Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool, England
Referee: Hollie Davidson (SRU)
Assistant Referees: Eoghan Cross (IRFU) and Sam Grove-White (SRU)
TMO: Mike Adamson (SRU)
FPRO: Tual Trainini (FFR)
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Australia v Italy
Date: Saturday, 18 July, 2026
Venue: HBF Park, Perth
Referee: Christophe Ridley (RFU)
Assistant Referees: Karl Dickson (RFU) and Morné Ferreira (SARU)
TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (SARU)
FPRO: Ian Tempest (RFU)
New Zealand v Ireland
Date: Saturday, 18 July, 2026
Venue: Eden Park, Auckland
Referee: Nic Berry (RA)
Assistant Referees: Luc Ramos (FFR) and Damon Murphy (RA)
TMO: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)
FPRO: Andrew Jackson (RFU)
South Africa v Wales
Date: Saturday, 18 July, 2026
Venue: Hollywoodbets, Kings Park, Durban
Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU)
Assistant Referees: Pierre Brousset (FFR) and James Doleman (NZR)
TMO: Olly Hodges (IRFU)
FPRO: Richard Kelly (NZR)
Argentina v England
Date: Saturday, 18 July, 2026
Venue: Estadio Unico Madre de Ciudades, Santiago del Estero
Referee: Angus Gardner (RA)
Assistant Referees: Nika Amashukeli (GRU) and Paul Williams (NZR)
TMO: Brett Cronan (RA)
FPRO: Eric Gauzins (FFR)
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Japan v France
Date: Saturday, 18 July, 2026
Venue: Tokyo National Stadium, Tokyo
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (NZR)
Assistant Referees: Andrea Piardi (FIR) and Luke Pearce (RFU)
TMO: Glenn Newman (NZR)
FPRO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)
Fiji v Scotland
Date: Saturday, 18 July, 2026
Venue: Murrayfield, Edinburgh
Referee: Matthew Carley (RFU)
Assistant Referees: Eoghan Cross (IRFU) and Anthony Woodthorpe (RFU)
TMO: Tual Trainini (FFR)
FPRO: Leo Colgan (IRFU)
