Referees named for British and Irish Lions Tests against New Zealand

23 March 2017 04:23

Two French referees and a South African will take charge of the British and Irish Lions' Tests against world champions New Zealand this summer.

World Rugby confirmed that 36-year-old South African official Jaco Peyper will control the first Test on June 24 in Auckland.

Jerome Garces, who refereed England's Six Nations clash against Ireland in Dublin last weekend, has been appointed to the second Test in Wellington seven days later.

And Garces' countryman Romain Poite will be man in the middle at Auckland's Eden Park on July 8.

It will be a second successive Lions Test series appearance for Poite, who controlled the third and deciding 2013 contest against Australia in Sydney. He has refereed more than 50 Tests matches during his career.

Lions tour referee appointments: June 3 - Provincial Union XV (Angus Gardner, Australia); 7 - Blues (Pascal Gauzere, France); 10 - Crusaders (Mathieu Raynal, France); 13 - Highlanders (Angus Gardner); 17 - Maori (Jaco Peyper, South Africa); 20 - Chiefs (Jerome Garces, France); 24 - New Zealand (Jaco Peyper); 27 - Hurricanes (Romain Poite, France); July 1 - New Zealand (Jerome Garces); July 8 - New Zealand (Romain Poite).

Source: PA