Referees for the first round

Six named for the tournament

The IRB chose six referees for its Under-21 World Championship, starting in Scotland on Friday. They include the top referee from Japan.

The referees are:

Marcelo Pilara (Argentina)
Brett Bowden (Australia)
Alistair McKay (Ireland)
Shinchi Iwashita (Japan)
Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand)
Hugh Watkins (Wales)

Iwashita, who was a touch judge at 1999 Rugby World Cup 1999, is the top referee in Japan.

Pilara, Lawrence, Bowden, Watkins and McKay have all been to Under-19 World Championships.

Bowden was pitchforked into Super 12 rugby this year when he was a touch judge to Scott Young in South Africa and young was forced off with an injury.

Bowden, Lawrence and Watkins are in the IRB's C Panel - a new panel of promising referees who are being given greater exposure with a view to promotion.

On Friday the matches start and there are two at Raeburn Place, the Edinburgh Academicals' ground and the scene of the very first Test - way back in 1871.

Raeburn Place is in Edinburgh, New Anniesland in Glasgow and Netherdale in Galashiels.

Seeing a citing commissioner down as an appointee is a wee bit ominous!

The appointments for the first round are:

Ireland vs Tonga at New Anniesland
Referee: Shinchi Iwashita (Japan)
Touch judges: Graeme Hannah, Jim Oswald
Assessor: Alberto Recaldini
Citing commissioner: Bill Dunlop

Australia vs France at New Anniesland
Referee: Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand)
Touch judges: John Steele, D Anderson
Assessor: Carlos Molinari
Citing commissioner: Bill Dunlop

Italy vs Argentina at Raeburn Place
Referee: Huw Watkins (Wales)
Touch judges: Mike Hall, John Ferns
Assessor: Doug Kerr
Citing commissioner: Douglas Hunter

Scotland vs South Africa at Raeburn Place
Referee: Alistair McKay (Ireland)
Touch judges: Paul Haycock, David Wilkinson
Assessor: Brian Leigh
Citing commissioner: Douglas Hunter

Wales vs Russia at Netherdale
Referee: Marcelo Pilara (Argentina)
Touch judges: Iain Heard, Peter Carruthers
Assessor: Allen Piggott
Citing commissioner: Peter Brown

New Zealand vs England at Netherdale
Referee: Brett Bowden (Australia)
Touch judges: Malcolm Changleng, Ronnie Dumma
Assessor: Michel Lamoulie
Citing commissioner: Peter Brown