The new biennal Men's international rugby tournament created by Six Nations Rugby and SANZAAR will kick off in July with the Southern Hemisphere Series.
Click here for the list of Nations Championship appointments.
The IRFU's Eoghan Cross will take charge of Fiji v Wales on the opening day at Cardiff City Stadium on Saturday, July 4, with his match officials team including Leo Colgan as TMO.
Andrew Brace will begin the inaugural Nations Championship with assistant referee appointments for South Africa v England in Johannesburg, and South Africa v Scotland in Pretoria.
He will move on to Durban to referee the Springboks' July 18 clash with Wales, while Cross' two AR appointments will see him involved in Fiji's encounters with England and Scotland.
In addition, Colgan and Olly Hodges will be busy across the three rounds as television match officials and foul play review officers, with five appointments between them.
Congratulations to all four IRFU match officials. Their selections reflect the strong performances by our officials over the season, and we wish them the best of luck over the coming months.
Refereeing is one of the most rewarding ways to be involved in rugby. Click here for more information from the IRFU Referee Department.
A total of sixteen referees from eight nations will oversee 18 Nations Championship games next month, the beginning of two exciting international windows in July and November, building towards the finals weekend in London on November 27-29.
Ireland's eagerly-awaited July 4 opener against Australia at Sydney's Allianz Stadium will be refereed by New Zealand's Ben O'Keeffe.
Andy Farrell's side will play Japan the following Saturday at McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle, where Italy's Andrea Piardi will have the whistle.
They will wrap up the Southern Series on July 18 at the iconic Eden Park in Auckland, coming up against a New Zealand team now coached by Dave Rennie. Australian Nic Berry will be the man in the middle.