Reminder: Who will referee first Test between Springboks and All Blacks
· The South African
The Springboks will soon face the All Blacks in the first clash of a four-Test series, which will kick off in Johannesburg on 22 August, and as always there will be plenty of attention on the performance of the referee.
This opening Test will be officiated by Matthew Carley (England) Carley, who established himself as a mainstay on the world referee stage. His major career appointments include officiating at the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France and taking charge of the 2024 Champions Cup final between Leinster and Toulouse.
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Carley has officiated several high-profile Tests involving South Africa, and the Springboks hold a remarkably strong record under his whistle:
Carley has been the referee in charge for three notable Springbok victories over New Zealand, including their historic 35-7 triumph at Twickenham in August 2023, their 31-29 thriller on the Gold Coast in 2021, and their 18-12 win in Cape Town during the 2024 Rugby Championship.
Outside of early career defeats against Wales (2018) and Australia (2021), South Africa has won every major Test match refereed by Carley in recent years, including key victories against Wales (2022), Italy (2022), Georgia (2025), and Ireland in Dublin (2025).
VIEW RUGBY’S GREATEST RIVALRY APPOINTMENTS >>
ALL THE REFEREE APPOINTMENTS FOR THE SPRINGBOKS AND ALL BLACKS
Bulls v New ZealandLoftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Saturday, 15 August, 2026Referee: Nika Amashukeli (GRU)
Assistant Referee 1: Karl Dickson (RFU)
Assistant Referee 2: Matthew Carley (RFU)
TMO: Eric Gauzins (FFR)
FPRO: Mike Adamson (SRU)South Africa v New Zealand
Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Saturday, 22 August, 2026Referee: Matthew Carley (RFU)
Assistant Referee 1: Karl Dickson (RFU)
Assistant Referee 2: Nika Amashukeli (GRU)
TMO: Mike Adamson (SRU)
FPRO: Eric Gauzins (FFR)Lions v New Zealand
Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Tuesday, 25 August, 2026Referee: Angus Gardner (RA)
Assistant Referee 1: Karl Dickson (RFU)
Assistant Referee 2: Nika Amashukeli (GRU)
TMO: Brett Cronan (RA)
FPRO: Eric Gauzins (FFR)South Africa v New Zealand
DHL Stadium, Cape Town
Saturday, 29 August, 2026Referee: Nika Amashukeli (GRU)
Assistant Referee 1: Karl Dickson (RFU)
Assistant Referee 2: Angus Gardner (RA)
TMO: Eric Gauzins (FFR)
FPRO: Brett Cronan (RA)South Africa v New Zealand
FNB Stadium, Johannesburg
Saturday, 5 September, 2026Referee: Angus Gardner (RA)
Assistant Referee 1: Nika Amashukeli (GRU)
Assistant Referee 2: Christophe Ridley (RFU)
TMO: Brett Cronan (RA)
FPRO: Eric Gauzins (FFR)South Africa v New Zealand
M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, USA
Saturday, 12 September, 2026Referee: Karl Dickson (RFU)
Assistant Referee 1: Matthew Carley (RFU)
Assistant Referee 2: Christophe Ridley (RFU)
TMO: Andrew Jackson (RFU)
FPRO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)
Lots to look forward to
The All Blacks have so far played two out of their seven matches in South Africa on their ‘Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry’ tour, including three Tests and four matches against provincial sides.
The fourth Test will be in Baltimore in the United States.