The Guinness Six Nations is one of the biggest international rugby competitions in the world and is eagerly anticipated by fans every year. For 2023, the tournament will be held in a new stadium and with a whole new set of referees and officials. Today we’re going to take a look at who these referees and officials are, what they bring to the table, and why they were chosen for this year’s tournament. So without further ado, let’s get into it!
The officiating team will include Williams, assistants Ben O’Keeffe and James Doleman, and television match official (TMO) Brendon Pickerill.
On February 26, Ireland’s Andrew Brace will referee Scotland v Wales at BT Murrayfield, and Georgia’s Nika Amashukeli will referee France v Scotland in Paris.
On March 12, Luke Pearce of the RFU will referee Scotland’s home game against Ireland, and Angus Gardner of Australia will referee Scotland’s final match against Italy.
In the championship, Mike Adamson will be the only Scottish referee, but Hollie Davidson, Ben Blain and Sam Grove-White have been given officiating roles in the 2023 Under-20 Six Nations.
ROUND ONE:
| Wales v Ireland Principality Stadium, Cardiff Saturday, 4 February, 2023 | Referee: Karl Dickson (RFU) Assistant Referee 1: Angus Gardner (RA) Assistant Referee 2: Luke Pearce (RFU) TMO: Tom Foley (RFU) |
| England v Scotland Twickenham Stadium, London Saturday, 4 February, 2023 | Referee: Paul Williams (NZR) Assistant Referee 1: Ben O’Keeffe (NZR) Assistant Referee 2: James Doleman (NZR) TMO: Brendon Pickerill (NZR) |
| Italy v France Stadio Olimpico, Rome Sunday, 5 February, 2023 | Referee: Matthew Carley (RFU) Assistant Referee 1: Nic Berry (RA) Assistant Referee 2: Jordan Way (RA) TMO: Ben Whitehouse (WRU) |
ROUND TWO:
| Ireland v France Aviva Stadium, Dublin Saturday, 11 February, 2023 | Referee: Wayne Barnes (RFU) Assistant Referee 1: Matthew Carley (RFU) Assistant Referee 2: Jordan Way (RA) TMO: Brendon Pickerill (NZR) |
| Scotland v Wales BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh Saturday, 11 February, 2023 | Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU) Assistant Referee 1: Frank Murphy (IRFU) Assistant Referee 2: Chris Busby (IRFU) TMO: Brian MacNeice (IRFU) |
| England v Italy Twickenham Stadium, London Sunday, 12 February, 2023 | Referee: James Doleman (NZR) Assistant Referee 1: Mathieu Raynal (FFR) Assistant Referee 2: Tual Trainini (FFR) TMO: Eric Gauzins (FFR) |
ROUND THREE:
| Italy v Ireland Stadio Olimpico, Rome Saturday, 25 February, 2023 | Referee: Mike Adamson (SRU) Assistant Referee 1: Wayne Barnes (RFU) Assistant Referee 2: Craig Evans (WRU) TMO: Marius Jonker (SARU) |
| Wales v England Principality Stadium, Cardiff Saturday, 25 February, 2023 | Referee: Mathieu Raynal (FFR) Assistant Referee 1: Andrew Brace (IRFU) Assistant Referee 2: Pierre Brousset (FFR) TMO: Brian MacNeice (IRFU) |
| France v Scotland Stade de France, Paris Sunday, 26 February, 2023 | Referee: Nika Amashukeli (GRU) Assistant Referee 1: Karl Dickson (RFU) Assistant Referee 2: Andrea Piardi (FIR) TMO: Ben Whitehouse (WRU) |
ROUND FOUR:
| taly v Wales Stadio Olimpico, Rome Satuday, 11 March, 2023 | Referee: Damon Murphy (RA) Assistant Referee 1: Karl Dickson (RFU) Assistant Referee 2: Chris Busby (IRFU) TMO: Joy Neville (IRFU) |
| England v France Twickenham Stadium, London Saturday, 11 March, 2023 | Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (NZR) Assistant Referee 1: Jaco Peyper (SARU) Assistant Referee 2: Andrea Piardi (FIR) TMO: Brett Cronan (RA) |
| Scotland v Ireland BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh Sunday, 12 March, 2023 | Referee: Luke Pearce (RFU) Assistant Referee 1: Wayne Barnes (RFU) Assistant Referee 2: Christophe Ridley (FFR) TMO: Stuart Terheege (RFU) |
ROUND FIVE:
| Scotland v Italy BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh Saturday, 18 March, 2023 | Referee: Angus Gardner (RA) Assistant Referee 1: Matthew Carley (RFU) Assistant Referee 2: Craig Evans (WRU) TMO: Brett Cronan |
| France v Wales Stade de France, Paris Saturday, 18 March, 2023 | Referee: Nic Berry (RA) Assistant Referee 1: Andrew Brace (IRFU) Assistant Referee 2: Christophe Ridley (FFR) TMO: Joy Neville (IRFU) |
| Ireland v England Aviva Stadium, Dublin Saturday, 18 March, 2023 | Referee: Jaco Peyper (SARU) Assistant Referee 1: Ben O’Keeffe (NZR) Assistant Referee 2: Pierre Brousset (FFR) TMO: Marius Jonker (SARU) |
What can we expect from them during the tournament?
The Guinness Six Nations tournament is one of the biggest and most important rugby tournaments in the world. With that comes a lot of responsibility for the officials who are in charge of making sure the games are fair and played according to the rules.
We can expect them to be very well prepared for each game, with a good understanding of the laws of the game and how they should be applied. They will also be aware of all the teams involved and their playing styles, so that they can make decisions accordingly.
We can expect them to be firm but fair in their decision-making, and to use their experience and knowledge to ensure that the games are as enjoyable and exciting as possible for everyone involved.
Conclusion
The officials and referees appointed to the 2023 Guinness Six Nations are a great example of diversity in sports. With referees from both genders and different nations contributing, it is clear that rugby union is making important strides towards establishing an environment of equality and fairness for all players. We look forward to watching the tournament unfold next year and seeing how these dedicated individuals contribute to upholding the highest standards of safety, integrity, respect, discipline and fair play during what promises to be an exciting competition. completion schedule to starts from the 4th February.