Italy vs Springboks referee caught up in 'throat-slitting' incident

Saturday, 15 November 2025 at 12:31

byRugby Rucker

***** kill him.”*

The Italy vs Springboks referee has been locked in for this year’s Autumn Nations Series clash — and it will take place at one of Europe’s most futuristic rugby cauldrons.

Turin’s Allianz Stadium, home of Juventus, will host the heavyweight meeting. A venue famed for its striking design and electric atmosphere, the 41,507-seater arena was the first club-owned stadium in Italy, the first fully eco-friendly facility of its kind, and the first major Italian stadium built without architectural barriers.

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Italy’s rise at home

The Azzurri arrive with confidence. They’ve won five of their last eight Nations Series Tests, matching their total from the previous 23 combined. Even more impressively, their last two victories came after trailing at the break — a sign of newfound resilience.

Italy have also beaten two Rugby Championship sides in their last four home meetings, having previously managed just three wins from 36 attempts against the southern-hemisphere giants.

Springboks on a European rampage

South Africa, meanwhile, travel north in ominous form. The world champions have won eight straight Tests in Europe, their best run since their legendary 14-match surge between 1994 and 1998 — a streak that also included a pair of wins on Italian soil.

Who is James Doleman — the Italy vs Springboks referee?

New Zealand’s James Doleman will take charge of Italy vs South Africa. Born in Tauranga but raised partly in the Philippines and China, he began refereeing as a teenager. His first match came in 2007, aged just 16, overseeing an under-nines tournament in Hong Kong — an outing he later described as “rubbish”.

His rise since has been rapid. After refereeing the World Rugby U20 Championship final in 2019, Doleman made his Super Rugby debut in 2020 and his full Test debut shortly after, earning a spot in the 2022 Australia vs England series.

Doleman stepped onto the Six Nations stage in 2023, taking charge of England vs Italy at just 31 years old, calling it one of the defining goals of his refereeing career.

Eddie Jones’ criticism

Doleman made headlines when former England boss Eddie Jones suggested he “evened things up” after Australia’s Darcy Swain was sent off in England’s 30–28 defeat.

Jones argued that red cards often influence referees subconsciously, saying England “weren’t good enough” to adapt to the shift in interpretation.

The Ardie Savea ‘throat-slitting’ incident

Doleman was also at the centre of one of Super Rugby’s most dramatic flashpoints. During a fiery Rebels vs Hurricanes clash in 2023, tempers exploded moments before half-time.

After sending Ardie Savea to the bin for escalating a melee, the Hurricanes captain responded by making a throat-slitting gesture toward Rebels scrum-half Ryan Louwrens — a moment that shocked viewers worldwide.

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Doleman’s mic even caught a broadcast voice saying: “He’s threatening to f

Savea apologised after the match, admitting he had to “be better” with young fans watching.

REFEREE'S FOR THE AUTUMN:

Saturday, 15 November 2025

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)

Sunday, 16 November 2025

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

Saturday, 22 November 2025

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)

Sunday, 23 November 2025

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)

Saturday, 29 November 2025

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)

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