It was whispered. It is now official. South African Jaco Peyper will referee the opening match of the Rugby World Cup between hosts France and New Zealand at the Stade de France on 8 September. He will be assisted by Karl Dickson (England) and Christophe Ridley (England). Tom Foley (England) will be the video referee (TMO).
An appointment which immediately brings back the specter of the quarter-final of the 2019 edition between the Blues and the Welsh. Mr. Peyper had legitimately expelled the second-line French Sébastien Vahaamahina, guilty of an elbow in the face of an opponent. Which had precipitated the elimination of the Blues.
The controversy does not come from this decision but from a photo, taken the same evening in Japan. Surrounded by Welsh supporters, the referee, hilarious, had posed by mimicking the gesture of the Clermontois. An outing that had earned him the wrath of World Rugby and a short shelving…
The referees for the other three group matches of the Blues are also known. It will be the New Zealander Ben O’Keeffe for France-Uruguay in Lille on September 14; Englishman Matthew Carley for France-Namibia on the 21st in Marseille; and the Englishman Karl Dickson for France-Italy, on October 6 in Lyon.
World Rugby has indeed also revealed the names of all the officials selected for the 40 group matches of the World Cup. Four referees will make their world competition debut: Andrew Brace (Ireland), Nika Amashukeli (Georgia), Matthew Carley (England) and Karl Dickson (England). The first Georgian official in World Cup history, Amashukeli will be in charge of the Ireland-Romania match in Bordeaux on September 9.
Wayne Barnes (England) will participate in his fifth World Cup, a record. He already has 21 meetings to his credit in a World Cup, when the 11 other referees have accumulated… 24!
During the group stage, Frenchman Mathieu Raynal will lead four matches. The explosive England-Argentina in Pool D from the first weekend, then South Africa-Romania, Uruguay-Namibia and Wales-Georgia.
The 12 refereesNika Amashukeli (Georgia), Wayne Barnes (England), Nic Berry (Australia), Andrew Brace (Ireland), Matthew Carley (England), Karl Dickson (England), Angus Gardner (Australia), Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand), Luke Pearce (England), Jaco Peyper (South Africa), Mathieu Raynal (France), Paul Williams (New Zealand).
The 7 assistant refereesChris Busby (Ireland), Pierre Brousset (France), James Doleman (New Zealand), Craig Evans (Wales), Andrea Piardi (Italy), Christophe Ridley (England), Jordan Way (Australia).
The 7 video referees (TMO)Brett Cronan (Australia), Tom Foley (England), Marius Jonker (South Africa), Brian MacNeice (Ireland), Joy Neville (Ireland), Brendon Pickerill (New South Wales), Ben Whitehouse (Wales).
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