England’s Wayne Barnes will take charge of the Rugby World Cup 2023 final between New Zealand and South Africa at Stade de France on Sunday.
Barnes, the world’s most-capped referee with 110 tests having made his debut with Fiji vs Samoa in Suva in June 2006, will become the second Englishman to officiate a Rugby World Cup final after Ed Morrison, who was in charge when New Zealand and South Africa last met in the title decider in 1995.
The 44-year-old adds his name to an honour roll of Rugby World Cup final referees that also features Kerry Fitzgerald (Australia, 1987), Derek Bevan (Wales, 1991), Andre Watson (South Africa, 1999 and 2003), Alain Rolland (Ireland, 2007), Craig Joubert (South Africa, 2011), Nigel Owens (Wales, 2015) and Jérôme Garcès (France, 2019).
It will be a record 27th Rugby World Cup match as referee for Barnes in what is his fifth tournament.
The final will be his sixth match in the middle during France 2023, equalling the record he set at RWC 2019 when he took charge of New Zealand’s defeat of Wales in the bronze final in Tokyo.
Barnes will have compatriots Karl Dickson and Matthew Carley as his assistant referees with Tom Foley named as the Television Match Official.
Nic Berry of Australia will take charge of the bronze final between Argentina and England at Stade de France on Saturday supported by Nika Amashukeli (Georgia) and Andrew Brace (Ireland) as assistant referees and Ben Whitehouse (Wales) as TMO.
