Junior World Championship

Appointments Summer 2008 (Source: SAReferees.co.za)

The International Rugby Board has announced the referees for its new competition, the Junior World Championship.

There are ten referees altogether - James Bolabiu (Fiji), Phillip Bosch (South Africa), Peter Fitzgibbon (Ireland), Taizo Hirabayashi (Japan), Tim Hayes (Wales), James Jones (Wales), James Leckie (Australia), Romain Poite (France), Chris Pollock (New Zealand), Andrew Small (England).

The championship takes place in Wales from 6-22 June 2008. There will be 40 matches played at four venues - Cardiff, Newport, Swansea and Wrexham.

This tournament replaces two which the IRB ran before - the Under-21 and Under-19 World Championships.

In announcing the referees, the IRB's referee manager, Paddy O'Brien, said: “The IRB Junior World Championship is a testing ground for the future stars of world Rugby to showcase their talents in a highly competitive Tournament environment, and the same can be said of the match officials who will be taking charge of the matches in Wales.

“The Tournament, alongside the IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy and IRB Sevens World Series, plays an important developmental role for the IRB’s match officials in terms of preparing them for the Test arena.”

The World Junior Trophy will be played in Chile in April for countries just below those who will play in Wales.

For those selected the tournament represents the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of a number of top referees such as Wayne Barnes, Nigel Owens, Bryce Lawrence, Craig Joubert, Marius Jonker and Christophe Berdos, who have advanced to referee Test matches on the back of their performances at IRB Age Grade Tournaments.

O'Brien said: “The panel selected for the IRB Junior World Championship has an exciting complexion. We feel that all 10 of them are potential Test referees, so it is a huge opportunity for them to perform in front of the selectors."

Individual match appointments for the pool stages of the Tournament will be made when the match officials arrive in Wales in late May. Performances will then be assessed before appointments for the final rounds are made. A panel of six specialist touch judges will be appointed in due course.

Matchday 1 Appointments:

Under-20

Junior World Championship

Match Day 1 - Friday 6 June 2008

New Zealand vs Tonga in Cardiff
Referee: James Bolabiu (Fiji)
Touch judges: Andrew McMenemy (Scotland), David Bodilly (Wales)
Assessor: Tappe Henning (IRB)

Argentina vs Ireland in Cardiff
Referee: Tim Hayes (Wales)
Touch judges: Andrew McMenemy (Scotland), David Bodilly (Wales)
Assessor: Tappe Henning (IRB)

South Africa vs USA in Wrexham
Referee: Taizo Hirabayashi (Japan)
Touch judges: James Leckie (Australia), Andrea Pasquin (Italy)
Assessor: Steve Hilditch (Ireland)

Samoa vs Scotland in Wrexham
Referee: James Jones (Wales)
Touch judges: James Leckie (Australia), Andrea Pasquin (Italy)
Assessor: Steve Hilditch (Ireland)

Australia vs Canada in Newport
Assessor: Phillip Bosch (South Africa)
Touch judges: David Wilkinson (Ireland), David Jones (Wales)
Assessor: Michel Lamoulie (France)

England vs Fiji in Newport
Referee: Peter Fitzgibbon (Ireland)
Touch judges: David Wilkinson (Ireland), David Jones (Wales)
Assessor: Michel Lamoulie (France)

France vs Japan in Swansea
Referee: Andrew Small (England)
Touch judges: Chris Pollock (New Zealand), Robin Goodliffe (England)
Assessor: Bob Francis (New Zealand)

Wales vs Italy in Swansea
Referee: Romain Poite (France)
Touch judges: Chris Pollock (New Zealand), Robin Goodliffe (England)
Assessor: Bob Francis (New Zealand)

Matchday 2 Appointments:

Under-20

Junior World Championship

Match Day 2 - Tuesday 10 June 2008

Samoa vs USA in Wrexham
Referee: Philip Bosch (South Africa)
Touch judges: Robin Goodliffe (England), David Jones (Wales)
Assessor: Steve Hilditch (Ireland)

South Africa vs Scotland in Wrexham
Referee: Chris Pollock (New Zealand)
Touch judges: Robin Goodliffe (England), David Jones (Wales)
Assessor: Steve Hilditch (Ireland)

Argentina vs Tonga in Cardiff
Referee: Andrew Small (England)
Touch judges: Romain Poite (France), Andrea Pasquin (France)
Assessor: Tappe Henning (IRB)

New Zealand vs Ireland in Cardiff
Referee: James Leckie (Australia)
Touch judges: Romain Poite (France), Andrea Pasquin (France)
Assessor: Tappe Henning (IRB)

England vs Canada in Newport
Referee: Taizo Hirabayashi (Japan)
Touch judges: David Wilkinson (Ireland), David Bodilly (Wales)
Assessor: Michel Lamoulie (France)

Australia vs Fiji in Newport
Referee: James Jones (Wales)
Touch judges: David Wilkinson (Ireland), David Bodilly (Wales)
Assessor: Michel Lamoulie (France)

France vs Italy in Swansea
Referee: Tim Hayes (Wales)
Touch judges: James Bolabiu (Fiji), Andrew McMenemy (Scotland)
Assessor: Bob Francis (New Zealand)

Wales vs Japan in Swansea
Referee: Peter Fitzgibbon (France)
Touch judges: James Bolabiu (Fiji), Andrew McMenemy (Scotland)
Assessor: Bob Francis (New Zealand)

Matchday 3 Appointments:

Under-20

Junior World Championship

Match Day 3 - Saturday 14th June 2008 - All times are local (GMT+1)

Scotland vs USA at 3pm in Wrexham
Referee: Tim Hayes (Wales)
Touch judges: David Bodilly (Wales), Andrea Pasquin (Italy)
Assessor: Steve Hilditch (Ireland)

South Africa vs Samoa at 5pm in Wrexham
Referee: James Bolabiu (Fiji)
Touch judges: David Bodilly (Wales), Andrea Pasquin (Italy)
Assessor: Steve Hilditch (Ireland)

Ireland vs Tonga at 3pm in Cardiff
Referee: Philp Bosch (South Africa)
Touch judges: Robin Goodliffe (England), David Jones (Wales)
Assessor: Tappe Henning (IRB)

New Zealand vs Argentina at 5pm in Cardiff
Referee: James Jones (Wales)
Touch judges: Robin Goodliffe (England), David Jones (Wales)
Assessor: Tappe Henning (IRB)

England vs Australia at 2:30pm in Newport
Referee: Romain Poite (France)
Touch judges: Taizo Hirabayashi (Japan), Andrew McMenemy (Scotland)
Assessor: Michel Lamoulie (France)

Fiji vs Canada at 5pm in Newport
Referee: Chris Pollock (New Zealand)
Touch judges: Taizo Hirabayashi (Japan), Andrew McMenemy (Scotland)
Assessor: Michel Lamoulie (France)

Italy vs Japan at 3pm in Swansea
Referee: Andrew Small (England)
Touch judges: Peter Fitzgibbon (Ireland), David Wilkinson (Ireland)
Assessor: Bob Francis (New Zealand)

Wales vs France at 5pm in Swansea
Referee: James Leckie (Australia)
Touch judges: Peter Fitzgibbon (Ireland), David Wilkinson (Ireland)
Assessor: Bob Francis (New Zealand)