Historic referee appointments for Lions 2025 Test series
Italian referee Andrea Piardi and Georgian official Nika Amashukeli are set to become the first from their respective countries to referee a British & Irish Lions Test match
©PA
In a significant step toward broader international representation in rugby officiating, the referees for the 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia have been confirmed, featuring several historic appointments.
talian referee Andrea Piardi and Georgian official Nika Amashukeli will each officiate a Test match during the highly anticipated three-match series.
Piardi will take charge of the second Test in Melbourne, while Amashukeli will referee the third Test in Sydney. This marks the first time that referees from Italy and Georgia will oversee Lions Test matches, a milestone in global rugby development.
New Zealand’s Ben O’Keeffe, one of the sport’s most experienced officials, has been named as the referee for the opening Test in Brisbane. All three referees—Piardi, Amashukeli, and O’Keeffe—will serve as assistant referees in the Tests they do not lead, providing a consistent officiating framework across the series.
Officiating Teams and Warm-Up Fixtures
The appointments also include television match officials (TMOs) and foul play review officers (FPROs), with Marius Jonker, Richard Kelly, and Eric Gauzins rotating through these roles.
Warm-up fixtures ahead of the Test series will be overseen by referees such as James Doleman, Paul Williams, Pierre Brousset, and Andrea Piardi himself. Among them, Piardi is also set to officiate Ireland’s clash against Georgia on July 5 in Tbilisi, supported by Adam Leal and Ben Whitehouse.
A week later, Leal will referee Ireland’s match against Portugal in Lisbon, continuing the effort to develop officiating consistency across all levels of international play.
“With new global competitions to commence in 2026, our long-term focus continues to be on ensuring we have a widened pool of top level international match officials on the road to Rugby World Cups in the USA, and this selection represents that strategic ambition," said Chair of the Emirates World Rugby Match Officials Selection Committee.
“I would like to congratulate and thank the match officials selected who earn their places on merit.
"I know how hard this group strives for excellence on and off the field, whether that be via rigorous performance review, fitness or culture, and we look forward to seeing them in action.”
