World Rugby has announced the match officials for the men’s Guinness Six Nations 2021 which runs from 6 February to 20 March.
The appointments have been made following a thorough review of performances and with likely ongoing travel and quarantine restrictions in mind.
Nine referees will feature across the Championship with Matthew Carley (England) taking charge of the opening match between Italy and France in Rome on 6 February.
Highlights include:
- With two matches, Wayne Barnes (England) is set to reach 95 test referee appearances by the end of the championship
- Romain Poite (France) is set to become the third most-capped referee in his own right by taking charge of his 71st test when Scotland play Ireland at Murrayfield on 14 March
- Former sevens international Mike Adamson (Scotland) will referee his first Six Nations match – England versus Italy on 13 February at Twickenham, which will also be his first time refereeing a Six Nations team
- Jaco Peyper (South Africa) will referee his first international match in over a year owing to pandemic travel restrictions when he takes charge of England versus France at Twickenham on 13 March
- Joy Neville (Ireland) will continue to perform Television Match Official duties, having been selected for two matches
Chairman of the World Rugby Match Officials Selection Committee Graham Mourie said: “The 2021 Guinness 6 Nations marks an important milestone for our match officials on the road to Rugby World Cup 2023 in France after a disrupted 2020 owing to the pandemic.
“While international travel is still a challenge, we have selected a good blend of experienced and talented young match officials for the championship.”
View the full appointments here >>
The appointments for the Women's Six Nations Championship 2021 will be made once the fixtures are announced.
