Referees Appointed For Summer Test Matches
The International Rugby Board have announced the match official appointments for a large number of upcoming Tests and other matches that will take place from late May to early July.
John Lacey, who recently took charge of his first Six Nations match, will lead an all-Irish team of match officials when he referees Japan v Samoa in Tokyo on May 30.
Fellow Munster man George Clancy has been appointed to the Samoa v Italy game in Apia on June 14, while a week later Lacey will be in Cordoba for Argentina’s clash with Scotland.
Meanwhile, New Zealand’s Glen Jackson, the former Saracens out-half, has been selected to referee Ireland’s first Test against Argentina in Resistencia on June 7.
The second game between the Pumas and the reigning Six Nations champions – pencilled in for Tucumán on June 14 – will be refereed by Pascal Gauzere of France.
The appointments were made by the IRB Match Official Selection Committee at its meeting in Dublin and follow a detailed review of recent performances during the recently concluded Six Nations Championship, European Nations Cup Division 1A and other matches.
Click here for the full list of match official appointments.
IRB Match Official Selection Committee Chairman John Jeffrey said: “As always, referees are accountable for the quality of their games and these appointments have been made following careful consideration to recent performances at elite level, including the Six Nations and other international matches.
“We continue to consult with coaches and teams in making our selection decisions. I’d like to thank the Unions for their commitment and full support to this official channel of feedback.
“The matches and tournaments around June allow us to test the very best match officials at the highest level.
“But with tournaments such as the Junior World Championship, Nations Cup, Tbilisi Cup, Pacific Nations Cup and 2015 Rugby World Cup qualifiers, it also gives us the opportunity to see how the up-and-coming referees are faring.
“We are building our squad towards next year’s Rugby World Cup in England and every big game is an opportunity for established referees to cement their place and also for emerging match officials to stake their claim.”
As such, the selection system allows for movement in and out of the panel based on form and rewards the top performers and young referees who have graduated through the performance pathway ahead of the Rugby World Cup in England.
Appointments for other upcoming matches, including those for the Pacific Nations Cup and Tbilisi Cup, will be announced in due course.
The IRB Match Official Selection Committee, chaired by Jeffrey, comprises former elite referees Lyndon Bray (SANZAR), Andrew Cole (SANZAR), Donal Courtney (European Rugby Cup), Clayton Thomas (Six Nations) and IRB High Performance Match Officials Manager Joël Jutge.
The committee meets four times a year and makes selections for the next international window with all performances reviewed in advance of selection.
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