Springboks vs England referee was involved in 'throat-slitting' incident
Rugby NewsSaturday, 04 July 2026 at 11:08
The Springboks vs England referee will have a busy afternoon at Ellis Park as both teams kick off their Nations Championship campaign.
The New Zealander could have a demanding afternoon, particularly given the focus on England back-row sensation Henry Pollock.
Much of the build-up has centred on how South Africa plan to handle the young flanker, whose ability to get under opponents' skin has become a defining feature of his game.
Referees involved in Pollock's matches are often required to manage plenty of off-the-ball tension.
Who is the South Africa vs England referee:
Born in Tauranga, New Zealand, James Doleman spent much of his childhood in the Philippines and China. He began refereeing while still a student, taking charge of his first match in 2007 at the age of 16 during an under-nines school tournament in Hong Kong.
Reflecting on the experience, he later admitted it was “rubbish.”
His rise through the ranks was rapid. After refereeing the 2019 World Rugby Under-20 Championship final, he was appointed to his first Super Rugby fixture in 2020.
His international debut came a year later, before earning a breakthrough appointment for the opening Test of the 2022 Australia versus England series.
In 2023, aged just 31, Doleman made his Six Nations debut when England faced Italy in the second round. Speaking to the South China Morning Post about the milestone, he said:
“It’s one of those goals as a referee. Aside from the World Cup, the Six Nations is the pinnacle.”
He added: “Being involved in a tournament like that, with the history, coming from New Zealand, the fans up north make the Six Nations very special.
"At the end of the day, referees get into refereeing because we’re fans of rugby. The reason I do it is to be involved in those occasions.”
Doleman found himself at the centre of a high-profile incident during a 2023 Super Rugby clash between the Melbourne Rebels and the Hurricanes, when Ardie Savea made a controversial throat-slitting gesture.
Moments before half-time, tensions boiled over as a large brawl erupted. Dane Coles and Josh Canham squared up to one another while players from both sides attempted to restore order.
Amid the chaos, Savea forcefully brought Rebels fly-half Carter Gordon to the ground, leading to a heated exchange before Gordon walked away.
After consulting assistant referees Paul Williams and Graham Cooper, Doleman ruled that the initial confrontation between Canham and Coles amounted to little more than "push and shove".
However, he determined that Savea had escalated the situation. Having already been penalised earlier in the match, Savea was shown a yellow card.
As he left the field, Rebels scrum-half Ryan Louwrens sarcastically applauded him, prompting Savea's infamous throat-slitting gesture in response.
The commentary team reacted with disbelief, while Doleman's referee microphone picked up a voice saying:
“He’s threatening to f*g kill him, he’s threatening to kill him.”
Following the match, Savea apologised for his actions, telling Sky Sports:
”I can understand the fans are furious with the gesture that I made. It’s just a heat of the moment kind of thing, you know. It’s footy, but I understand kids are watching us.
We’re in the heat of the moment and that’s out of character for me, so I put my hand up first and apologise for that. I’ve got to be better, we’re trying to clean up the game. I understand… there’s no excuse for me, I’ve got to be better.”
Nations Championship Referee's
Saturday, 4 July 2026
Australia v Ireland
Venue: Allianz Stadium, Sydney
- Referee: Ben O'Keeffe (NZR)
- Assistant Referee 1: Karl Dickson (RFU)
- Assistant Referee 2: Andrea Piardi (FIR)
- TMO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)
- FPRO: Glenn Newman (NZR)
New Zealand v France
Venue: One New Zealand Stadium, Christchurch
- Referee: Luke Pearce (RFU)
- Assistant Referee 1: Christophe Ridley (RFU)
- Assistant Referee 2: Katsuki Furuse (JRFU)
- TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (SARU)
- FPRO: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)
South Africa v England
Venue: Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg
- Referee: James Doleman (NZR)
- Assistant Referee 1: Andrew Brace (IRFU)
- Assistant Referee 2: Pierre Brousset (FFR)
- TMO: Richard Kelly (NZR)
- FPRO: Olly Hodges (IRFU)
Argentina v Scotland
Venue: Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes, Cordoba
- Referee: Nika Amashukeli (GRU)
- Assistant Referee 1: Paul Williams (NZR)
- Assistant Referee 2: Adam Leal (RFU)
- TMO: Brett Cronan (RA)
- FPRO: Eric Gauzins (FFR)
Japan v Italy
Venue: Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium, Tokyo
- Referee: Nic Berry (RA)
- Assistant Referee 1: Luc Ramos (FFR)
- Assistant Referee 2: Sam Grove-White (SRU)
- TMO: Ian Tempest (RFU)
- FPRO: Andrew Jackson (RFU)
Fiji v Wales
Venue: Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff
- Referee: Eoghan Cross (IRFU)
- Assistant Referee 1: Matthew Carley (RFU)
- Assistant Referee 2: Hollie Davidson (SRU)
- TMO: Leo Colgan (IRFU)
- FPRO: Mike Adamson (SRU)
Saturday, 11 July 2026
Australia v France
Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
- Referee: Karl Dickson (RFU)
- Assistant Referee 1: Christophe Ridley (RFU)
- Assistant Referee 2: Katsuki Furuse (JRFU)
- TMO: Andrew Jackson (RFU)
- FPRO: Glenn Newman (NZR)
New Zealand v Italy
Venue: SKY Stadium, Wellington
- Referee: Luc Ramos (FFR)
- Assistant Referee 1: Nic Berry (RA)
- Assistant Referee 2: Luke Pearce (RFU)
- TMO: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)
- FPRO: Marius van der Westhuizen (SARU)
South Africa v Scotland
Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
- Referee: Pierre Brousset (FFR)
- Assistant Referee 1: James Doleman (NZR)
- Assistant Referee 2: Andrew Brace (IRFU)
- TMO: Richard Kelly (NZR)
- FPRO: Olly Hodges (IRFU)
Argentina v Wales
Venue: Estadio San Juan del Bicentenario, San Juan
- Referee: Paul Williams (NZR)
- Assistant Referee 1: Angus Gardner (RA)
- Assistant Referee 2: Nika Amashukeli (GRU)
- TMO: Eric Gauzins (FFR)
- FPRO: Brett Cronan (RA)
Japan v Ireland
Venue: McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle, Australia
- Referee: Andrea Piardi (FIR)
- Assistant Referee 1: Ben O'Keeffe (NZR)
- Assistant Referee 2: Morné Ferreira (SARU)
- TMO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)
- FPRO: Ian Tempest (RFU)
Fiji v England
Venue: Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool
- Referee: Hollie Davidson (SRU)
- Assistant Referee 1: Eoghan Cross (IRFU)
- Assistant Referee 2: Sam Grove-White (SRU)
- TMO: Mike Adamson (SRU)
- FPRO: Tual Trainini (FFR)
Saturday, 18 July 2026
Australia v Italy
Venue: HBF Park, Perth
- Referee: Christophe Ridley (RFU)
- Assistant Referee 1: Karl Dickson (RFU)
- Assistant Referee 2: Morné Ferreira (SARU)
- TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (SARU)
- FPRO: Ian Tempest (RFU)
New Zealand v Ireland
Venue: Eden Park, Auckland
- Referee: Nic Berry (RA)
- Assistant Referee 1: Luc Ramos (FFR)
- Assistant Referee 2: Damon Murphy (RA)
- TMO: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)
- FPRO: Andrew Jackson (RFU)
South Africa v Wales
Venue: Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban
- Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU)
- Assistant Referee 1: Pierre Brousset (FFR)
- Assistant Referee 2: James Doleman (NZR)
- TMO: Olly Hodges (IRFU)
- FPRO: Richard Kelly (NZR)
Argentina v England
Venue: Estadio Único Madre de Ciudades, Santiago del Estero
- Referee: Angus Gardner (RA)
- Assistant Referee 1: Nika Amashukeli (GRU)
- Assistant Referee 2: Paul Williams (NZR)
- TMO: Brett Cronan (RA)
- FPRO: Eric Gauzins (FFR)
Japan v France
Venue: Tokyo National Stadium, Tokyo
- Referee: Ben O'Keeffe (NZR)
- Assistant Referee 1: Andrea Piardi (FIR)
- Assistant Referee 2: Luke Pearce (RFU)
- TMO: Glenn Newman (NZR)
- FPRO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)
Fiji v Scotland
Venue: Murrayfield, Edinburgh
- Referee: Matthew Carley (RFU)
- Assistant Referee 1: Eoghan Cross (IRFU)
- Assistant Referee 2: Anthony Woodthorpe (RFU)
- TMO: Tual Trainini (FFR)
- FPRO: Leo Colgan (IRFU)
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