World Rugby confirms Six Nations 2022 officials

World Rugby has announced the match officials for the Guinness Six Nations 2022, which kicks off on 5 February.

While the global COVID-19 pandemic continues to challenge logistics, it has been possible to select from the widest available group since 2019, with almost all top match officials able to travel.

As a result, 13 referees representing eight unions will take charge of the Championship’s 15 matches.

Highlights include:

• Georgia’s Nika Amashukeli is one of three Six Nations referee debutants, and is the first Georgian to take charge of a Championship game after refereeing Ireland v Japan in November
• Australia’s Damon Murphy and England’s Karl Dickson are the other Six Nations referee debutants
• Australia’s Angus Gardner and Nic Berry referee first Six Nations matches since 2019, while South Africa’s Jaco Peyper and New Zealand’s Ben O’Keeffe take charge of first Championship matches since 2020 as travel restrictions ease
• Peyper and Scotland’s Mike Adamson are the only referees to have two matches each with Peyper taking charge of the opening and final matches of the Championship
• England’s Wayne Barnes edges closer to a century of international referee appointments, taking charge of Ireland versus Scotland, his 98th test in his 16th Championship
• Assistant referees Pierre Brousset, Tual Trainini (both France) and Chris Busby (Ireland) make their Championship debut
• Television Match Officials Stuart Terheege (England), Ben Whitehouse (Wales) and Brett Cronan (Australia) will also make their Championship debut in the role
• Chairman of the World Rugby Match Officials Selection Committee Graham Mourie said: “The 2022 Guinness Six Nations represents an important milestone for our match officials on the road to Rugby World Cup 2023 in France.

“Being able to select from the largest pool of match officials since the last Rugby World Cup is exciting and also means that we will be able to optimise preparation on the ground prior to and during the Championship. I would like to extend my congratulations to Nika, Damon and Karl, who will be refereeing their first Six Nations matches, and wish all the best to all the match officials selected for the Championship.”

Ireland v Wales

Aviva Stadium, Dublin

Saturday, 5 February, 2022 Referee: Jaco Peyper (SARU)
Assistant Referee 1: Mathieu Raynal (FFR)
Assistant Referee 2: Angus Gardner (RA)
TMO: Stuart Terheege (RFU)

Scotland v England

BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh

Saturday, 5 February, 2022 Referee: Ben O'Keeffe (NZR)
Assistant Referee 1: Nic Berry (RA)
Assistant Referee 2: Craig Evans (WRU)
TMO: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)

France v Italy

Stade de France, Paris

Sunday, 6 February, 2022 Referee: Mike Adamson (SRU)
Assistant Referee 1: Nika Amashukeli (GRU)
Assistant Referee 2: Damon Murphy (RA)
TMO: Brett Cronan (RA)

Wales v Scotland

Principality Stadium, Cardiff

Saturday, 12 February, 2022 Referee: Nic Berry (RA)
Assistant Referee 1: Wayne Barnes (RFU)
Assistant Referee 2: Chris Busby (IRFU)
TMO: Brett Cronan (RA)

France v Ireland

Stade de France, Paris

Saturday, 12 February, 2022 Referee: Angus Gardner (RA)
Assistant Referee 1: Ben O'Keeffe (NZR)
Assistant Referee 2: Craig Evans (WRU)
TMO: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)

Italy v England

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Sunday, 13 February, 2022 Referee: Damon Murphy (RA)
Assistant Referee 1: Andrew Brace (IRFU)
Assistant Referee 2:
TMO: Brian MacNeice (IRFU)

Scotland v France

BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh

Saturday, 26 February, 2022 Referee: Karl Dickson (RFU)
Assistant Referee 1: Luke Pearce (RFU)
Assistant Referee 2: Chris Busby (IRFU)
TMO: Tom Foley (RFU)

England v Wales

Twickenham Stadium, London

Saturday, 26 February, 2022 Referee: Mike Adamson (SRU)
Assistant Referee 1: Mathieu Raynal (FFR)
Assistant Referee 2: Frank Murphy (IRFU)
TMO: Brian MacNeice (IRFU)

Ireland v Italy

Aviva Stadium, Dublin

Sunday, 27 February, 2022 Referee: Nika Amashukeli (GRU)
Assistant Referee 1: Matthew Carley (RFU)
Assistant Referee 2: Christophe Ridley (RFU)
TMO: Eric Gauzins (FFR)

Wales v France

Principality Stadium, Cardiff

Friday, 11 March, 2022 Referee: Matthew Carley (RFU)
Assistant Referee 1: Jaco Peyper (SARU)
Assistant Referee 2: Andrea Piardi (FIR)
TMO: Tom Foley (RFU)

Italy v Scotland

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Saturday, 12 March, 2022 Referee: Luke Pearce (RFU)
Assistant Referee 1: Andrew Brace (IRFU)
Assistant Referee 2: Craig Evans (WRU)
TMO: Stuart Terheege (RFU)

England v Ireland

Twickenham Stadium, London

Saturday, 12 March, 2022 Referee: Mathieu Raynal (FFR)
Assistant Referee 1: Mike Adamson (SRU)
Assistant Referee 2: Pierre Brousset (FFR)
TMO: Marius Jonker (SARU)

Wales v Italy

Principality Stadium, Cardiff

Saturday, 19 March, 2022 Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU)
Assistant Referee 1: Matthew Carley (RFU)
Assistant Referee 2: Tual Trainini (FFR)
TMO: Joy Neville (IRFU)

Ireland v Scotland

Aviva Stadium, Dublin

Saturday, 19 March, 2022 Referee: Wayne Barnes (RFU)
Assistant Referee 1: Karl Dickson (RFU)
Assistant Referee 2: Christophe Ridley (FFR)
TMO: Stuart Terheege (RFU)

France v England

Stade de France, Paris

Saturday, 19 March, 2022 Referee: Jaco Peyper (SARU)
Assistant Referee 1: Mike Adamson (SRU)
Assistant Referee 2: Frank Murphy (IRFU)
TMO: Marius Jonker (SARU)