SA's Ferreira to ref first overseas test as November line-up announced

South African match official Morne Ferreira will referee his first test abroad next month after he was appointed by World Rugby to take charge of the match between Spain and Fiji in Valladolid.

World Rugby announced the match officials for the November test window on Friday, which includes the Springboks’ three tests, in Edinburgh, London and Cardiff.

The Bok tests will be refereed by Christophe Ridley of England (SA v Scotland), Andrew Brace of Ireland (SA v England) and Karl Dickson of England (SA v Wales).

Apart from the test in Spain on 16 November, Ferreira – who refereed his first tests in the Stellenbosch Challenge in 2021, where Namibia, Kenya, Zimbabwe and Brazil played – has also been appointed as an assistant referee in four other matches, including France v Argentina in Paris.

Aimee Barrett-Theron, who recently became the first women’s match official to referee 40 tests, has been appointed as an assistant referee in three matches, including the Valladolid test with Ferreira.

Three more South African match officials, Quinton Immelman, Marius Jonker and Marius van der Westhuizen, will appear on the TMO panel for the test window.