Rugby World Cup 2023: South Africa v France – Who will be the referee?

The Springboks will play France in the Rugby World Cup 2023 quarter-finals. But who will be the referee come Sunday, 15 October?

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While World Rugby at the time of publishing has not announced the officials for the four quarter-finals, let’s break down the options.

As reported by The South African website, 12 referees were named to officiate at the tournament.

They are: Nika 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).

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Jaco Peyper and Mathieu Raynal are not options, leaving 10 to choose from.

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Considering the winner of the match will take on either England or Fiji in the semi-finals, one would think World Rugby wouldn’t select one of the four English match officials – although that might not be the governing body’s thinking.

There are no Fijian referees at the tournament.

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That would potentially leave just SIX options: Two New Zealanders, two Australians, one Irishman and a Georgian.

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While it’s possible that the Springboks would prefer a southern hemisphere referee, the sight of Australia’s Nic Berry with the whistle might worry Rassie Erasmus in particular – and he’s unlikely to be the appointment.

That leaves five possibilities …

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Gut feel is that Georgia’s Nika Amashukeli, although a top-class referee, might be a little too inexperienced for a Test of this magnitude.

The same applies to New Zealand’s Paul Williams.

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That leaves just three options …

Angus Gardner (Australia), Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand) or Andrew Brace (Ireland)?

Pick your poison!

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Who would YOU like to see referee the Springboks v France Rugby World Cup 2023 quarter-final?

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