TV star launches furious ‘disgrace’ attack on Springboks vs All Blacks referee

Wednesday, 19 August 2026 at 06:59

byCharlie Elliott

English referee Matthew Carley will take charge of the first Test between the Springboks and All Blacks at Ellis Park.

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The match will be the first of four Tests between the two sides in their Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series, with the All Blacks having already played three matches against club sides in South Africa as part of their tour.

Carley is an experienced official who has taken charge of more than 50 Tests and has now been handed one of the biggest fixtures of the year.

After working as an assistant referee at the 2019 World Cup, Carley was promoted to referee for the 2023 tournament. However, his first appearance as a referee at a World Cup proved to be a controversial one.

Carley officiated Wales' clash with Fiji in the pool stages, with his performance attracting significant criticism during and after the match.

Fiji felt Wales repeatedly infringed close to their own try line in the second half, with the Welsh receiving several warnings but seemingly little punishment.

Warren Gatland's side ultimately received just one yellow card, shown to Corey Domachowski, despite supporters in the stadium and viewers at home believing there should have been at least three or four.

Instead, Fiji's Lekima Tagitagivalu became the first player to be shown a card in the match, while Pacific Islands head coach Simon Raiwalui struggled to hide his frustration at full-time.

Fiji eventually suffered a narrow 32-26 defeat despite producing a late fightback after falling 32-14 behind.

Carley was criticised by BBC presenter Nick Knowles, who described his refereeing performance as an "absolute disgrace".

The DIY SOS host called on World Rugby to issue an "apology" to Fiji, taking to X to express his anger.

"Absolutely appalling officiating in this game," he wrote. "Fiji should launch an official complaint. Try line no arms tackle first half Wales ignored, multiple try line offences Wales ignored, one offence Fiji carded. Officiating ruining this World Cup."

"This is looking worse than bad officiating," he continued. "I don't even want to say it out loud. This officiating is an absolute disgrace and World Rugby owes Fiji an apology and this officiating team need censuring in some way.

"This is supposed to be a showcase but it's grotesque. The officials won that game for Wales and something should be done about it. Nothing will of course but World Rugby you are absolutely making a mess of this showcase."

Knowles has since entered the rugby world himself, becoming a club owner earlier this month after investing in Championship side Cornish Pirates as part of an ambitious new era for the club.

The TV star has joined the Cornish outfit as a new shareholder, with the Pirates also revealing that he has brought in a film crew to produce a documentary series exploring the importance of rugby in Cornwall.

The series will also examine the club's plans for regeneration and growth following fresh investment from the United States.

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