The match official appointments for the opening three rounds of the 2026 Nations Championship have been confirmed, with leading referees from across the international game selected to oversee the tournament’s marquee fixtures.
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Saturday, 4 July 2026
Australia v Ireland
Venue: Allianz Stadium, Sydney
- Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (NZR)
- Assistant Referee 1: Karl Dickson (RFU)
- Assistant Referee 2: Andrea Piardi (FIR)
- TMO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)
- FPRO: Glenn Newman (NZR)
New Zealand v France
Venue: One New Zealand Stadium, Christchurch
- Referee: Luke Pearce (RFU)
- Assistant Referee 1: Christophe Ridley (RFU)
- Assistant Referee 2: Katsuki Furuse (JRFU)
- TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (SARU)
- FPRO: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)
South Africa v England
Venue: Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg
- Referee: James Doleman (NZR)
- Assistant Referee 1: Andrew Brace (IRFU)
- Assistant Referee 2: Pierre Brousset (FFR)
- TMO: Richard Kelly (NZR)
- FPRO: Olly Hodges (IRFU)
Argentina v Scotland
Venue: Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes, Cordoba
- Referee: Nika Amashukeli (GRU)
- Assistant Referee 1: Paul Williams (NZR)
- Assistant Referee 2: Adam Leal (RFU)
- TMO: Brett Cronan (RA)
- FPRO: Eric Gauzins (FFR)
Japan v Italy
Venue: Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium, Tokyo
- Referee: Nic Berry (RA)
- Assistant Referee 1: Luc Ramos (FFR)
- Assistant Referee 2: Sam Grove-White (SRU)
- TMO: Ian Tempest (RFU)
- FPRO: Andrew Jackson (RFU)
Fiji v Wales
Venue: Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff
- Referee: Eoghan Cross (IRFU)
- Assistant Referee 1: Matthew Carley (RFU)
- Assistant Referee 2: Hollie Davidson (SRU)
- TMO: Leo Colgan (IRFU)
- FPRO: Mike Adamson (SRU)
