France vs Springboks referee is the best in the world

Angus Gardner will be the man in the middle as France aim to overcome the World Cup holders in the Quilter Nations Series.

Australian referee Angus Gardner has become one of the most respected and consistent officials in world rugby. Born on 24 August 1984, Gardner began his refereeing journey remarkably early — taking up the whistle at just 15 years old in 1999.

What started as a teenage hobby quickly developed into a lifelong passion, ultimately shaping a career that has seen him officiate at the highest levels of the sport.

Gardner’s professional breakthrough came in 2012, when he was appointed to the Super Rugby referees panel. His debut match in the competition took place that same year at Suncorp Stadium, overseeing the clash between the Queensland Reds and the Melbourne Rebels.

His calm authority and clear communication quickly earned him respect among players, coaches, and fans alike.

His international refereeing career began even earlier, in 2011, when he took charge of his first test match — an Oceania Cup fixture between Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu in Port Moresby.

From there, Gardner’s rise was steady and impressive. He officiated at the IRB Junior World Championships in both 2012 and 2014, including the semi-final between England and Ireland in the latter year.

By 2015, Gardner had cemented his place among the elite, being appointed as an assistant referee at the Rugby World Cup. His reputation continued to grow, culminating in refereeing major fixtures such as the 2018 Super Rugby Final between the Crusaders and the Lions in Christchurch, and later the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan.

His excellence was formally recognised in 2018, when he received the World Rugby Referee of the Year award — a testament to his professionalism, composure, and consistency on the field. Most recently, in 2025, Gardner took charge of another Super Rugby Pacific Final, once again between the Crusaders and the Chiefs, and he is also the most capped referee in the competition.

Tomorrow, Gardner will add another prestigious fixture to his résumé as he takes the whistle for France versus South Africa in the Quilter Nations Series.

Referee: Angus Gardner (Aus)
ARs: Nika Amashukeli (Geo) & Christophe Ridley (Eng)
TMO: Ian Tempest (Eng)
FPRO: Andrew Jackson (Eng)

Bristol Bears v Argentina XV – Ashton Gate Stadium, Bristol
Referee: Nic Berry (RA)
ARs: RFU appointments
TMO: RFU appointment

Ireland v Japan – Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi (FIR)
ARs: Andrea Piardi (FIR), Federico Vedovelli (FIR)
TMO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)
FRPO: Eric Gauzins (FFR)

Scotland v New Zealand – Murrayfield, Edinburgh
Referee: Nic Berry (RA)
ARs: Pierre Brousset (FFR), Morné Ferreira (SARU)
TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (SARU)
FRPO: Marius Jonker (SARU)

Georgia v USA – Adjarabet Arena, Batumi
Referee: Luke Pearce (RFU)
ARs: Adam Leal (RFU), George Selwood (RFU)
TMO: Dan Jones (RFU)

England v Fiji – Allianz Stadium, Twickenham
Referee: Paul Williams (NZR)
ARs: Luc Ramos (FFR), Katsuki Furuse (JRFU)
TMO: Mike Adamson (SRU)
FRPO: Quinton Immelman (SARU)

Italy v Australia – Bluenergy Stadium, Udine
Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU)
ARs: Hollie Davidson (SRU), Sam Grove-White (SRU)
TMO: Olly Hodges (IRFU)
FRPO: Leo Colgan (IRFU)

France v South Africa – Stade de France, Saint-Denis
Referee: Angus Gardner (RA)
ARs: Nika Amashukeli (GRU), Christophe Ridley (RFU)
TMO: Ian Tempest (RFU)
FRPO: Andrew Jackson (RFU)

Romania v Canada – Stadionul National Arcul de Triumf, Bucharest
Referee: Ben Breakspear (WRU)
ARs: Adam Jones (WRU), Ben Connor (WRU)
TMO: Aled Griffiths (WRU)

Portugal v Uruguay – Estádio Nacional do Jamor, Lisbon
Referee: James Doleman (NZR)
ARs: Kevin Bralley (FFR), Evan Urruzmendi (FFR)
TMO: Tual Trainini (FFR)

Spain v Ireland A – Estadio Ontime Butarque, Leganés
Referee: Tomás Bertazza (UAR)
ARs: Morgan White (HKCR), FER appointment
TMO: Paulo Duarte (FPR)

Wales v Argentina – Principality Stadium, Cardiff
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (NZR)
ARs: Karl Dickson (RFU), Anthony Woodthorpe (RFU)
TMO: Quinton Immelman (SARU)
FRPO: Eric Gauzins (FFR)

Italy v South Africa – Allianz Stadium, Turin
Referee: James Doleman (NZR)
ARs: Ben O’Keeffe (NZR), Jérémy Rozier (FFR)
TMO: Tual Trainini (FFR)
FRPO: Eric Gauzins (FFR)

England v New Zealand – Allianz Stadium, Twickenham
Referee: Andrea Piardi (FIR)
ARs: Luc Ramos (FFR), Gianluca Gnecchi (FIR)
TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (SARU)
FRPO: Mike Adamson (SRU)

Georgia v Canada – Adjarabet Arena, Batumi
Referee: Paul Williams (NZR)
ARs: Federico Vedovelli (FIR), Filippo Russo (FIR)
TMO: Aled Griffiths (WRU)

Romania v USA – Stadionul National Arcul de Triumf, Bucharest
Referee: Sam Grove-White (SRU)
ARs: Saba Abulashvili (GRU), Peter Martin (IRFU)
TMO: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)

Wales v Japan – Principality Stadium, Cardiff
Referee: Matthew Carley (RFU)
ARs: Nic Berry (RA), Anthony Woodthorpe (RFU)
TMO: Andrew Jackson (RFU)
FRPO: Quinton Immelman (SARU)

Ireland v Australia – Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Referee: Karl Dickson (RFU)
ARs: Pierre Brousset (FFR), Adam Leal (RFU)
TMO: Ian Tempest (RFU)
FRPO: Dan Jones (RFU)

France v Fiji – Stade Atlantique, Bordeaux
Referee: Christophe Ridley (RFU)
ARs: Nika Amashukeli (GRU), Morné Ferreira (SARU)
TMO: Marius Jonker (SARU)
FRPO: Stuart Terheege (RFU)

Portugal v Hong Kong China – Estádio Nacional do Jamor, Lisbon
Referee: Hollie Davidson (SRU)
ARs: Ben Breakspear (WRU), Ben Connor (WRU)
TMO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)

Spain v England A – Campo José Zorrilla, Valladolid
Referee: Morgan White (HKCR)
ARs: Tomás Bertazza (UAR), FER appointment
TMO: Paulo Duarte (FPR)

Scotland v Argentina – Murrayfield, Edinburgh
Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU)
ARs: Angus Gardner (RA), Luke Pearce (RFU)
TMO: Olly Hodges (IRFU)
FRPO: Leo Colgan (IRFU)

Uruguay v All Blacks XV – Montpellier, France
Referee: FFR appointment
ARs: FFR appointments
TMO: FFR appointment

Wales v New Zealand – Principality Stadium, Cardiff
Referee: Hollie Davidson (SRU)
ARs: Andrea Piardi (FIR), Gianluca Gnecchi (FIR)
TMO: Ian Tempest (RFU)
FRPO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)

Georgia v Japan – Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, Tbilisi
Referee: Eoghan Cross (IRFU)
ARs: Anthony Woodthorpe (RFU), Peter Martin (IRFU)
TMO: Leo Colgan (IRFU)

Spain v Fiji – Estadio Ciudad de Málaga, Málaga
Referee: Damián Schneider (UAR)
ARs: Federico Vedovelli (FIR), George Selwood (RFU)
TMO: Quinton Immelman (SARU)

Ireland v South Africa – Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Referee: Matthew Carley (RFU)
ARs: Karl Dickson (RFU), Christophe Ridley (RFU)
TMO: Andrew Jackson (RFU)
FRPO: Dan Jones (RFU)

Italy v Chile – Stadio Luigi Ferraris, Genoa
Referee: Adam Leal (RFU)
ARs: Adam Jones (WRU), Ben Connor (WRU)
TMO: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)
FRPO: Stuart Terheege (RFU)

France v Australia – Stade de France, Saint-Denis
Referee: Luke Pearce (RFU)
ARs: Andrew Brace (IRFU), Craig Evans (WRU)
TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (SARU)
FRPO: Mike Adamson (SRU)

Portugal v Canada – Estádio Cidade de Coimbra, Coimbra
Referee: Morné Ferreira (SARU)
ARs: Saba Abulashvili (GRU), Filippo Russo (FIR)
TMO: Marius Jonker (SARU)

Romania v Uruguay – Stadionul National Arcul de Triumf, Bucharest
Referee: Jérémy Rozier (FFR)
ARs: Ben Breakspear (WRU), Kevin Bralley (FFR)
TMO: Aled Griffiths (WRU)

Scotland v Tonga – Murrayfield, Edinburgh
Referee: Luc Ramos (FFR)
ARs: Evan Urruzmendi (FFR), Benoît Rousselet (FFR)
TMO: Tual Trainini (FFR)
FRPO: Olly Hodges (IRFU)

England v Argentina – Allianz Stadium, Twickenham
Referee: Pierre Brousset (FFR)
ARs: Nika Amashukeli (GRU), Sam Grove-White (SRU)
TMO: Eric Gauzins (FFR)
FRPO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)

Wales v South Africa – Principality Stadium, Cardiff
Referee: Luc Ramos (FFR)
ARs: Matthew Carley (RFU), Pierre Brousset (FFR)
TMO: Eric Gauzins (FFR)
FRPO: Andrew Jackson (RFU)