Six Nations refs for 2011

The IRB have announced the match officials for the 2011 Six Nations, which will be played between February 4 and March 19.

The IRB have announced the match official appointments for the 2011 Six Nations, which will be played between February 4 and March 19.

The appointments were made by the IRB Match Official Selection Committee at its meeting in Dublin this week following a comprehensive review of international referee, assistant referee and television match official performances during the recent November Tests.

With Rugby World Cup 2011 in New Zealand less than 10 months away the appointments will give the world's top referees a further chance to cement their place in the IRB Panel for Rugby's global showcase tournament.

Ireland's Alain Rolland, who refereed the Rugby World Cup 2007 final, will take charge of the opening match of the Championship on February 4 when Wales face England in the only Friday night match.

Top referee Nigel Owens will become Wales' second-most experienced international official when he takes charge of Scotland versus Ireland.

The Murrayfield encounter on February 27 will be Owens' 26th Test as a referee, seeing him move into second-place behind runaway leader Derek Bevan who heads the list with 44 international appearances.

The selection also sees Steve Walsh take charge of his first Six Nations match since 2008 when he referees England versus France at Twickenham on February 26. In total there are ten referees selected for the fifteen Championship matches.

“We are beginning the countdown towards Rugby World Cup 2011 and a streamlined panel of 10 top referees who will officiate at the tournament,” said IRB Match Official Selection Committee Chairman and IRB Council Member David Pickering.

“However, there are still 10 months to go until the showcase tournament kicks off and there is plenty of time for places to be secured. We have worked hard on consistency across the board and referees and coaches have universally bought into the strict application of five key areas of Law.”

“Collectively we are focused on further promoting consistency across all areas of officiating to ensure that those selected for Rugby World Cup 2011 are the best and that they will be in peak physical and performance condition for what promises to be a special tournament,” added Pickering.

2011 Six Nations appointments:

4 February 2011

Wales vs England at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Alan Lewis (Ireland), Simon McDowell (Ireland)
Television match official: Jim Yuille (Scotland)

5 February 2011
Italy vs Ireland at Stadio Flaminio, Rome
Referee: Romain Poite (France)
Assistant referees: Jérôme Garces (France), David Changleng (Scotland)
Television match official: Geoff Warren (England)

France vs Scotland at Stade de France, Paris
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Assistant referees: Andrew Small (England), Stuart Terheege (England)
Television match official: Giulio De Santis (Italy)

12 February 2011
England vs Italy at Twickenham, London
Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Peter Fitzgibbon (Ireland), Peter Allan (Scotland)
Television match official: Tony Redmond (Ireland)
Scotland vs Wales at Murrayfield, Edinburgh
Referee: George Clancy (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Romain Poite (France), Simon McDowell (Ireland)
Television match official: Graham Hughes (England)

13 February 2011
Ireland vs France at Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Referee: Dave Pearson (England)
Assistant referees: Wayne Barnes (England), David Changleng (Scotland)
Television match official: Geoff Warren (England)

26 February 2011
Italy vs Wales at Stadio Flaminio, Rome
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Assistant referees: Dave Pearson (England), John Lacey (Ireland)
Television match official: Iain Ramage (Scotland)

England vs France at Twickenham, London
Referee: Steve Walsh (Australia)
Assistant referees: Alan Lewis (Ireland), Tim Hayes (Wales)
Television match official: Giulio De Santis (Italy)

27 February 2011
Scotland vs Ireland at Murrayfield, Edinburgh
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant referees: Andrew Small (England), Pascal Gauzere (France)
Television match official: Graham Hughes (England)

12 March 2011
Italy vs France at Stadio Flaminio, Rome
Referee: Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Peter Fitzgibbon (Ireland), Stuart Terheege (England)
Television match official: Jim Yuille (Scotland)

Wales vs Ireland at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Craig Joubert (South Africa), Peter Allan (Scotland)
Television match official: Geoff Warren (England)

13 March 2011

England vs Scotland at Twickenham, London
Referee: Romain Poite (France)
Assistant referees: Jérôme Garces (France), Carlo Damasco (Italy)
Television match official: Tony Redmond (Ireland)

19 March 2011

Scotland vs Italy at Murrayfield, Edinburgh
Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Alan Lewis (Ireland), John Lacey (Ireland)
Television match official: Hugh Watkins (Wales)

Ireland vs England at Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Referee: Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Nigel Owens (Wales), Tim Hayes (Wales)
Television match official: Giulio De Santis (Italy)

France vs Wales at Stade de France, Paris
Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa), Simon McDowell (Ireland)
Television match official: Graham Hughes (England)