• Referees from seven national unions have been selected across the 15 Championship matches 
  • Angus Gardner and Ben O’Keeffe set to reach 50-test appearances, Pierre Brousset to make Championship debut 
  • Championship to feature global law trials following World Rugby Council approval in November 
  • The Championship represents an important milestone on the journey to Men’s Rugby World Cup Australia 2027 

World Rugby has announced the Emirates Match Official appointments for the Guinness Men’s Six Nations 2025. Spanning 15 matches and featuring 13 referees from seven unions, the tournament is another important step on the journey to Men’s Rugby World Cup Australia 2027.  

With 406 test matches across the referees, alongside a panel of assistant referees and Television Match Officials, the team has a wealth of top-level international rugby experience.  

Highlights include:  

  • Angus Gardner (Australia) and Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand) will each referee their 50th test matches, taking the number of officials to reach this prestigious milestone to 15.  
  • Gardner becomes the first Australian to achieve this, while O’Keeffe is the first New Zealander to reach 50 tests for a single union. 
  • They join Luke Pearce (England) in the active 50-test club, alongside the recently retired Mathieu Raynal (France), who achieved the feat in 2024. 
  • Pierre Brousset (France) will make his Men’s Six Nations debut as a referee after being sidelined from the 2024 edition due to injury. 
  • Paul Williams (New Zealand) to referee the opening match between France and Wales on 31 January – his 40th test in charge – with Matthew Carley (England) to bring curtain down on the Championship with France v Scotland. 
  • Sam Grove-White (Scotland) will make his Men’s Six Nations debut as an assistant referee, as will Mike Adamson (Scotland), Andrew Jackson (England), Richard Kelly (New Zealand), Tual Trainini (France) and Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa) as TMOs. 

The Emirates World Rugby Match Officials operate under a comprehensive performance structure that includes specialist coaching, mentoring and review as part of increased investment in referee performance and wellbeing by World Rugby. The on-field approach, including focus areas, are well established and have been jointly set between match officials, coaches and players, advancing clarity and accountability. 

World Rugby Chair and Chair of the Emirates World Rugby Match Officials Selection Committee Brett Robinson said: “The Guinness Men’s Six Nations represents the pinnacle of international rugby in the northern hemisphere and the officials selected for next year’s edition feature depth of experience and emerging talent. All are at the top of the game. 

 “Every international window next year represents an opportunity to develop talent depth and strong foundations as we build towards Men’s Rugby World Cup Australia 2027 and beyond to USA 2031. Congratulations all.” 

World Rugby High Performance 15s Match Officials Manager Joël Jutge added: “Rugby is a thrilling sport when played and officiated at its best. Collaboration between World Rugby and the teams is important to achieving that goal, and I would like to thank all the coaches and players for buying into an open process of defining the critical few focus areas and ongoing calibration to ensure a fair contest and a great spectacle.” 

Meanwhile, World Rugby has announced it is continuing its collaboration with Signify to protect all men’s and women’s international match officials from online abuse in 2025. The action-based service has been successful in educating audiences and has resulted in prosecutions, warnings and apologies across multiple jurisdictions.  

The appointments for the Guinness Women’s Six Nations will be announced in due course. For more information on fixtures and appointments, visit https://www.world.rugby/the-game/high-performance/officiating