Match officials for today including England vs Wales referee at Twickenham

Referee: Nic Berry (RA)

Assistant Referee 1: Karl Dickson (RFU)

Assistant Referee 2: Adam Leal (RFU)

TMO: Tom Foley (RFU)

Nic is a former professional player whose career saw him have stints with the QLD Reds, Racing 92 (Paris) and London Wasps.

His playing career was cut short in 2013 when a series of head concussions forced him into early retirement. He began refereeing in 2015 and quickly ascended through the national ranks joining the Super Rugby panel in 2016.

In 2017 Nic officiated the final at the U20’s World Championships and broke onto the World Rugby panel later that year officiating the encounter between Scotland and Samoa.

He has since refereed a number of tests including his first Tier 1 test match in 2018 between Ireland and Argentina. In 2019 he refereed in the 2019 Six Nations and in 2020 he will referee Ireland v Italy, following a quarter-final referee appointment at RWC 2019 in Japan. This is his fifth year in Super Rugby and he is now one of the more experienced tournament referees.

England vs Wales Referee: Nika Amashukeli (GRU)

Assistant Referee 1: Andrew Brace (IRFU)

Assistant Referee 2: Andrea Piardi (FIR)

TMO: Brian MacNeice (IRFU)

In his debut match as a referee, he found himself in charge of a U12s game - an experience he openly admits he will forever hold in his memory. Reflecting on that day, he shared, "I was utterly disoriented. At one instance, I even positioned myself in the inside-center channel, momentarily forgetting my role as the referee. It was quite embarrassing, and understandably, parents were displeased. My response was an apology, coupled with an acknowledgment of it being my inaugural match. In that moment, I grasped the enormity of the challenges inherent in this profession."

Amashukeli marked his entry onto the Test scene as a referee in 2015, officiating the opening half of the Montenegro vs. Estonia match in the European Nations Cup Third Division. His journey continued as he presided over matches at the 2019 World U20 Championship in Argentina and had the privilege of collaborating with his role model, Wayne Barnes, during the 2020 Autumn Nations Cup.

An historic milestone arrived when he became the first Georgian referee to oversee a tier one game, exemplified by his control over the Wales vs. Canada match in July 2021. Subsequently, he commanded authority in matches such as Ireland vs. Japan, Barbarians vs. Tonga, and Wales vs. Australia during the autumn internationals. His initiation into the Six Nations arena occurred last year when he officiated Ireland's dominant victory over Italy in Dublin.

Amashukeli's consistently remarkable performances have earned him the distinction of being selected as a referee for the 2023 Rugby World Cup, a remarkable accomplishment considering that 16 years earlier, he had watched the 2007 tournament, an event that ignited his passion for the sport he now excels in.

Referee: Wayne Barnes (RFU)

Assistant Referee 1: Christophe Ridley (RFU)

Assistant Referee 2: Federico Vedovelli (FIR)

TMO: Eric Gauzins (FFR)

Occupation: Barrister

The 41-year-old is an English international rugby union referee and barrister.  It was law he studied at university and a career as a barrister he pursued after graduating, but as he started to progress up the ranks as a referee the RFU offered to employ him in 2005. He’s now refereed more Premiership games than any other official.

BARNES SAID: “Richie always had the knack of asking the right question at the right time, sometimes it felt like I was losing a little bit of control. Contrary to popular belief, he didn’t talk a lot on the field. He knew the law book inside out and so when he asked a question, he often had a point.”