23 October 2026
Eoghan Cross, Andrea Piardi, and Christophe Ridley have been announced as the referees in the Springboks’ three Nations Championship Northern Series Tests in Europe next month.
World Rugby announced the match official appointments for the November Tests on Thursday, with South Africa’s Morne Ferreira (assistant referee) and Marius van der Westhuizen (television match official) also on the list.
Ireland’s Cross will be the man in the middle when the Boks open their tour with a Test against Italy in Turin on Saturday, 7 November.
Piardi, from Italy, is the man in the middle in Paris when the Boks take on France six days later, on Friday, 13 November.
England’s Ridley will referee the third Test on tour, against Ireland in Dublin on Saturday, 21 November. The match officials for the Finals Weekend in London (27-29 November) will be announced later.
Ferreira has two AR appointments, in Argentina’s Tests against Ireland in Dublin on 6 November, and the following weekend against Italy in Genoa.
Van der Westhuizen will be the TMO when England host Japan and New Zealand in London, and the week before that, he is the foul play review officer in Edinburgh when Scotland take on the All Blacks.
Match official appointments for the Boks’ Tests:
Italy v South Africa
Venue: Allianz Stadium, Turin
Date: Saturday, 7 November, 2026
Referee: Eoghan Cross (IRFU)
Assistant Referee 1: James Doleman (NZR)
Assistant Referee 2: Sam Grove-White (SRU)
TMO: Brett Cronan (RA)
FPRO: Mike Adamson (SRU)
France v South Africa
Venue: Stade de France, Saint-Denis
Date: Friday, 13 November, 2026
Referee: Andrea Piardi (FIR)
Assistant Referee 1: Christophe Ridley (RFU)
Assistant Referee 2: Gianluca Gnecchi (FIR)
TMO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)
FPRO: Andrew Jackson (RFU)
Ireland v South Africa
Venue: Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Date: Saturday, 21 November, 2026
Referee: Christophe Ridley (RFU)
Assistant Referee 1: Angus Gardner (RA)
Assistant Referee 2: Anthony Woodthorpe (RFU)
TMO: Ian Tempest (RFU)
FPRO: Tual Trainini (FFR)