Strong SA match official representation for new WXV Series

World Rugby has confirmed the Emirates Match Official appointments for the WXV Global Series 2026 and WXV Global Series Challenger 2026 presented by Mitsubishi Electric, which take place across September and October.

Ten referees from eight nations will oversee the 30 matches that make up the inaugural WXV Global Series, a competition featuring the world’s top 12 nations that kicks off in Manchester on 12 September and finishes in Cape Town on 31 October.

With Aimee Barrett-Theron (South Africa) taking a break as she continues treatment for breast cancer, four officials will take charge of four matches in the series in Maggie Cogger-Orr (New Zealand), Ella Goldsmith (Australia), Aurélie Groizeleau (France) and Holly Wood (England).

Groizeleau will referee the opening match between England and Australia before becoming the fourth official in 2026 to reach the milestone of 50 Tests in Toronto on 16 October when the Red Roses face Canada in a repeat of the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 final.

Jess Ling (Australia) will take charge of the final test of the WXV Global Series, between South Africa and Ireland in Cape Town on 31 October.

In the WXV Global Series Challenger in Hong Kong, Amber Stamp-Dunstan (Wales) will referee the opening match between Spain and Fiji, the two highest ranked teams in the six-team competition which runs from 13-26 September.

Hibiki Ikeda (Japan) and Precious Pazani (Zimbabwe) will also referee games on the opening day at Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground, before Emma Gallagher (Canada), Giana Viljoen (South Africa) and Sunny Lee (Hong Kong China) step into the middle for round two.

Appointment highlights

• Ten referees with 185 Tests of experience will take charge of the WXV Global Series, alongside 24 assistant referees, 12 Television Match Officials (TMO) and 10 Foul Play Review Officers (FPRO). The TMOs and FPROs will be deployed either on site or remote.

• Aurélie Groizeleau joins Matthew Carley (England), Aimee Barrett-Theron and Hollie Davidson (Scotland) in reaching 50 tests as referee this year, the fourth female and 20th official in history to achieve the milestone

• Groizeleau is the fifth French official to referee 50 Tests, following in footsteps of Romain Poite, Jérôme Garcès, Pascal Gaüzère and Mathieu Raynal.

• Holly Wood (England) returns to international refereeing following the birth of her second child with Scotland v Canada her first appointment on 12 September.

• Finlay Brown (Scotland) will make his international debut as a Television Match Official with Wales v USA in Cardiff on 26 September.

• Bérénice Loubet (France) will make her Test debut in the middle with the Spain v South Africa crossover match in Seville on 4 October.

• Giana Viljoen (South Africa) also makes her own Test debut as the referee for Fiji v Hong Kong China in the WXV Global Series Challenger 2026 on 19 September.

• Six referees from six unions will referee the matches with appointments for the third round to be made after each have taken charge of one match.

• They will be supported at the tournament by two local assistant referees and three remote TMOs.

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Three South African match officials have been included on the panel for the forthcoming WXV Global Series, with Viljoen in line to make her Test debut, while Zoe Naude has been appointed as the referee for four Tests.

World Rugby has announced the Emirates Match Official appointments for the WXV Global Series and WXV Global Series Challenger presented by Mitsubishi Electric, which take place across September and October.

One of Naude’s four Test appointments is for the historic clash between the Springbok Women and New Zealand’s Black Ferns as part of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry presented by Castle Double Malt next month.

Viljoen will make her Test debut as referee at the WXV Challenger Series in Hong Kong in September, when she takes charge of the clash between Fiji and Hong Kong China, while the experienced Quiton Immelman has been handed Television Match Official duties.

Naude’s appointments as referee are for the Tests between Italy and Japan in Pordenone, before she travels to the USA for the clashes between USA and Italy (Nashville, Tennessee), and the USA and England (Harrison, New Jersey).

The Springbok Women’s Tests will be officiated by Ella Goldsmith (v Wales in Cardiff 18 September); Holly Wood (v Italy in Pordenone on 26 September); Bérénice Loubet (v Spain in Seville on 4 October); and Ling (v Ireland in Cape Town on 24 and 31 October).

“It’s wonderful to see so many of our women match officials getting well-deserved international recognition,” said Rian Oberholzer, CEO of SA Rugby.

“Zoe has a number of big Tests coming up, while Giana and Angie are climbing the ranks and being rewarded for their performances. Quinton is one of the most experienced TMOs we have and we know all of them will do SA Rugby proud on the global stage.

“At the same time, we are stand by Aimee as she takes a break from the game and we know she will be back to build on the legacy she has already created as one of the top referees in the world.”