World Rugby confirms match official appointments for the Nations Championship 2026 Southern Hemisphere Series

Source: World Rugby

The World Rugby Match Official appointments have been announced for the Nations Championship Southern Hemisphere Series taking place in July.

• The Nations Championship is the new biennial international rugby tournament created by Six Nations Rugby and SANZAAR
• Luke Pearce will referee the first test of the inaugural Nations Championship
• Hollie Davidson to become first Scottish referee to take charge of 50 tests
• Match official profiles are available in the Media Zone

With a month to go until the inaugural Nations Championship kicks off, World Rugby have confirmed the match official appointments for the matches taking place in July.

The Nations Championship has been created through a landmark joint venture between Six Nations Rugby and SANZAAR, and brings together the 12 strongest teams in international rugby for a unique northern v southern hemisphere tournament format. Two chapters of fixtures across the exciting July and November international rugby windows build towards a Finals Weekend in London this November.

Sixteen referees from eight nations will take charge of the 18 Nations Championship matches played from 4-18 July with Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand) and Nic Berry (Australia) handed two matches.

VIEW NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP APPOINTMENTS >>

Luke Pearce (England) will referee the opening match, New Zealand v France at One New Zealand Stadium in Christchurch on 4 July, of a tournament that will involve 35 officials from 11 nations in total.

A week later Hollie Davidson (pictured) will become the first Scottish official to referee 50 tests when she takes charge of Fiji v England in Liverpool. Davidson will be the third female – and 19th official in history – to reach the milestone and joins Matthew Carley (England) and Aimee Barrett-Theron (South Africa) in doing so in 2026.

Angus Gardner (Australia) will take charge of the final test of this phase of the Nations Championship, Argentina v England in Santiago del Estero on 18 July.

World Rugby will be supporting its Social Impact Partner, ChildFund Rugby, with visibility across match officials’ jerseys during the Nations Championship.

For more than a decade, World Rugby and its Global Social Impact Partner ChildFund Rugby have been transforming lives, advancing social inclusion and positive change through rugby for 85,000 young people around the world.

With visibility key to the partnership’s goals, World Rugby is delighted to provide the opportunity for ChildFund Rugby to be present on match official shirts for the new Nations Championship, raising awareness of this important partnership and the impact it continues to deliver through rugby.

See World Rugby's statement here.