A late change has been made to the officiating team for the second Test between the Springboks and All Blacks at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday.
Georgian referee Nika Amashukeli has been ruled out after failing to recover from illness, with Australian referee Angus Gardner stepping in to take charge of the highly anticipated clash.
World Rugby confirmed the change on Thursday, with Gardner originally scheduled to referee the third Test at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg on 5 September.
The switch means Amashukeli will now referee the Johannesburg Test, while Gardner takes control of Saturday’s match in Cape Town.
1. Who Will Referee the Second Test?
Gardner will be supported by England’s Karl Dickson and Scotland’s Sam Grove-White as assistant referees.
Australia’s Brett Cronan has been appointed as the Television Match Official (TMO), while France’s Eric Gauzins will serve as the foul play review officer.
The updated Cape Town officiating team is:
- Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)
- Assistant referee: Karl Dickson (England)
- Assistant referee: Sam Grove-White (Scotland)
- TMO: Brett Cronan (Australia)
- Foul play review officer: Eric Gauzins (France)
2. Amashukeli Still Set for Johannesburg
Despite missing the Cape Town Test, Amashukeli remains scheduled to referee the third encounter between the Springboks and All Blacks in Johannesburg.
Gardner will then move into an assistant referee role alongside England’s Christophe Ridley.
The third-test officials will be:
- Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia)
- Assistant referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)
- Assistant referee: Christophe Ridley (England)
- TMO: Eric Gauzins (France)
- Foul play review officer: Brett Cronan (Australia)
With the second Test now just around the corner, attention will turn to Cape Town as the Springboks and All Blacks prepare for another chapter in one of international rugby’s biggest rivalries.
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