Matthew Carley referee Springboks v All Blacks Twickenham

The Springboks will take on New Zealand in their final 2023 Rugby World Cup warm-up match in London on Friday, 25 August. Photo: EPA/DAVE HUNT

Springboks v All Blacks blockbuster Twickenham clash: Referee named

England’s Matthew Carley has been named as the referee for the Springboks’ Rugby World Cup warm-up match against the All Blacks in London.

Matthew Carley referee Springboks v All Blacks Twickenham

The Springboks will take on New Zealand in their final 2023 Rugby World Cup warm-up match in London on Friday, 25 August. Photo: EPA/DAVE HUNT

Five referees who were included on the Rugby World Cup 2023 match official panel have been appointed to take charge of the Springboks’ Rugby Championship and World Cup warm-up Tests ahead of the extravaganza in France in September and October.

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The two South African match officials who are on the World Cup panel, Jaco Peyper (referee) and Marius Jonker (Television Match Official), were also handed a number of appointments for the international season, which kicks off in July.

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Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand) will officiate the Springboks’ sold-out Rugby Championship clash against Australia in Pretoria on Saturday 8 July, while Mathieu Raynal (France) will hold the whistle in their Test against New Zealand in Auckland on Saturday 15 July.

Ireland’s Andrew Brace will be taking charge of their final Test in the competition, against Argentina in Johannesburg on Saturday 29 July.

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Nika Amashukeli (Georgia) will preside over the first of the Springboks’ three World Cup warm-up games, against Argentina in Buenos Aires on Saturday 5 August, with Brace officiating their clash against Wales in Cardiff on Saturday 19 August, and Matthew Carley (England) taking charge of the highly-anticipated match against the All Blacks in London on Friday, 25 August.

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Peyper, meanwhile, will officiate three internationals: the Rugby Championship match between Australia and Argentina in Sydney (Saturday 15 July), where Jonker will be on TMO duty; and two Rugby World Cup warm-up games between Georgia and the USA (venue to be confirmed, on Saturday 19 August), and England vs Fiji (in London on Saturday 26 August).

Jonker will also serve as the TMO in the Bledisloe Cup encounter between New Zealand and Australia in Dunedin on Saturday, 5 August. To view the full match official appointments, click here.

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The match official appointments also reflect World Rugby’s ambitions beyond Rugby World Cup 2023, providing opportunity for match officials who will be in line for selection for the next Rugby World Cup cycles.

VIEW THE RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP APPOINTMENTS >>
VIEW THE REMAINING JULY-AUGUST APPOINTMENTS >>

Officials for the Springboks’ Rugby Championship 2023

South Africa v Australia
Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Saturday, 8 July, 2023
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (NZR)
Assistant Referee 1: Paul Williams (NZR)
Assistant Referee 2: Andrea Piardi (FIR)
TMO: Brendon Pickerill (NZR)
Argentina v New Zealand
Estadio Malvinas Argentina, Mendoza
Saturday, 8 July, 2023
Referee: Angus Gardner (RA)
Assistant Referee 1: Nic Berry (RA)
Assistant Referee 2: Jordan Way (RA)
TMO: Brett Cronan (RA)
Australia v Argentina
CommBank Stadium, Sydney
Saturday, 15 July, 2023
Referee: Jaco Peyper (SARU)
Assistant Referee 1: Paul Williams (NZR)
Assistant Referee 2: James Doleman (NZR)
TMO: Marius Jonker (SARU)
New Zealand v South Africa
Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland
Saturday, 15 July, 2023
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (FFR)
Assistant Referee 1: Angus Gardner (RA)
Assistant Referee 2: Pierre Brousset (FFR)
TMO: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)
Australia v New Zealand
Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
Saturday, 29 July, 2023
Referee: Wayne Barnes (RFU)
Assistant Referee 1: Karl Dickson (RFU)
Assistant Referee 2: Christophe Ridley (RFU)
TMO: Tom Foley (RFU)
South Africa v Argentina
Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg
Saturday, 29 July, 2023
Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU)
Assistant Referee 1: Nika Amashukeli (GRU)
Assistant Referee 2: Chris Busby (IRFU)
TMO: Joy Neville (IRFU)

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