World Rugby has announced the Emirates Match Officials for the quarter-finals of Rugby World Cup 2023, with Wayne Barnes set to take charge of a record fourth match at this stage.
Jaco Peyper (South Africa) will referee the first quarter-final between Wales and Argentina at Stade de Marseille in Marseille on 14 October (17:00 CET).
Wayne Barnes (England) will then referee Ireland v New Zealand at Stade de France in Saint-Denis on 14 October (21:00 CET).
Mathieu Raynal (France) will take charge of the third quarter-final between England and Fiji at the Stade de Marseille in Marseille on 15 October (17:00 CET).
Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand) will referee France v South Africa at Stade de France in Saint-Denis on 15 October (21:00 CET)
The appointments were made on merit after a review of the 40 pool phase matches.
A first Rugby World Cup quarter-final as referee for O’Keeffe and Raynal
A second quarter-final for Peyper; his first was Wales v France in 2019 – also his 50th test as a referee
A record fourth quarter-final for Barnes, moving clear of Nigel Owens, Jim Fleming and Derek Bevan
The four referees have 263 test appearances between them in the middle
The wider match official group remains in contention for future appointments at the tournament.
World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said: “I am full of admiration for how the match officials have performed at this Rugby World Cup and the example that they set as ambassadors and guardians of the sport’s values.
“They have played their full part in what will be remembered as a compelling pool phase. I would like to congratulate Jaco, Wayne, Mathieu and Ben, the assistant referees and TMOs, and we now look forward to four compelling matches on the road to determining who will lift the Webb Ellis Cup at Stade de France on 28 October.”
World Rugby High Performance 15s Match Officials Manager Joël Jutge added: “Congratulations to those appointed. It was a very difficult selection as the performance level has been high. As a team, the match officials have worked hard to achieve consistency of performance and clarity of decision-making that enables the players to do what they do best.
“There is a strong culture within this group and a strong understanding with the teams owing to the preparation achieved over the last year and beyond. While it is the referees who will get the recognition for the appointments, this is a team game. We have an excellent team of referees, assistant referees and TMOs with a strong team ethic for the group to be the best it can be as a whole.”
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