Non-neutral referees for Bledisloe Cup; Nigel Owens and Joy Neville make Test history
Nigel Owens will become the first person to take charge of 100 Test matches when the Welsh referee takes charge of France versus Italy in the Autumn Nations Cup in November.
Owens, the World Cup 2015 final referee, who this weekend takes charge of Racing v Saracens in the Champions Cup, will take charge of two matches in the new competition to reach the milestone, 17 years after his Test debut in February 2003 when he was in the middle for Portugal versus Georgia.
Meanwhile, Ireland’s Joy Neville, the Women’s World Cup 2017 final referee, will also make history as the first female to perform television match official duties when Wales face Georgia and Scotland take on Fiji in the same competition.
Both Owens and Neville are past recipients of the World Rugby referee award, the Welshman in 2015 and the former Ireland international in 2017. Other notable achievements include former Harlequins scrum-half Karl Dickson taking charge of his first Test when France play Wales on 24 October.
Former Scotland sevens player and Rio 2016 referee Mike Adamson has also been handed his first major match when England face the Barbarians at Twickenham on October 25, while Nika Amashukeli will become the first Georgian assistant referee in a major international competition.
This is genius 👏https://t.co/lRw3lIEg2u
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 18, 2020
Confirmation of the milestones comes as World Rugby announced the selection for matches within the temporary international calendar for 2020, including the rescheduled men’s and women’s Six Nations, the Autumn Nations Cup and the Bledisloe Cup competitions.
With various travel and quarantining restrictions limiting global movement, match officials will come from regional hubs and will be regularly tested for Covid-19 while following measures that maintain a bubble environment. This means matches in the northern hemisphere will be officiated by northern hemisphere-based referees, while matches in the southern hemisphere will be refereed by match officials from the southern hemisphere.
As a result of this environment, the two Bledisloe Cup matches between Australia and New Zealand, hosted in New Zealand, will be refereed by non-neutral referees, with New Zealander Paul Williams taking charge of the first match on October 11 and Australia’s Angus Gardner, another former World Rugby referee award recipient, refereeing the second on 18 October.
The approach was agreed with the support of the respective unions and their coaches. Appointments for The Rugby Championship will be made in due course. Newly-appointed chairman of the selection committee Graham Mourie said: “This has been a difficult year for society and sport, and therefore these appointments are an important milestone in returning our sport back to normality with much-needed and anticipated Test rugby.
“These selections are geographical in nature to accommodate ongoing travel and quarantine restrictions and the officials will be subject to regular COVID-19 testing in line with World Rugby’s return-to-play protocols.
“The selectors have been impressed with how match officials have maintained focus and fitness during the lockdown and in their performance since the restart, particularly in the area of the breakdown. Lockdown afforded the group time to recalibrate and refocus on on-field priorities and we look forward to seeing everyone back in action next month.”
How long is this back and forth going to continue? #TheRugbyChampionship #AllBlackshttps://t.co/TgZQHi5gPz
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 24, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
The value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
3 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
10 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
37 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
10 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
37 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
3 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
37 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
37 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
37 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
37 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
37 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to comments