Referees for the semi-finals

Browden and Lawrence take centre stage

Matches in the semi-finals of the IRB Under-21 World Championship are now sorting out the strong from the not-so-strong. Brett Browden of Australia and Bryce Lawrence of New Zealand are the referees for the two championship semi-finals.

The four teams in the running for the championship are Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, who are the title-holders, and South Africa.

The matches are being played in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Gala, as they have been throughout.

Hughenden in Glasgow is the ground of Hillhead/ Jordanhill RFC and Glasgow, the professional team.

Raeburn Place, the venue in 1871 of the first-ever Test, is in Edinburgh, the home ground of Edinburgh Academicals.

Netherdale is in Galashiels is the home of the famous Borders club, Gala.

New Zealand vs South Africa at Hughenden 
Referee: Brett Bowden (Australia)
Touch judges: Malcolm Changleng, John Ferns 
Assessor: Brian Leigh 
Citing commissioner: Brian Dunlop

Australia vs Ireland at Hughenden 
Referee: Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand)
Touch judges: Grant Wilson, Alan Forrest 
Assessor: Michel Lamoulie 
Citing commissioner: Brian Dunlop

Italy vs Russia at Raeburn Place 
Referee: Marcelo Pilara (Argentina)
Touch judges: David Changleng, Jim Oswald 
Assessor: Doug Kerr 
Citing commissioner: Rob Flockhart

Wales vs France at Raeburn Place 
Referee: Shinchi Iwashita (Japan) 
Touch judges: David Jack, John Yuille 
Assessor: Carlos Molinari 
Citing commissioner: Rob Flockhart

Scotland vs Tonga at Netherdale 
Referee: Alistair McKay (Ireland)
Touch judges: Paul Haycock, David Wilkinson 
Assessor: Alberto Recaldini 
Citing commissioner: Douglas Hunter

England vs Argentina at Netherdale 
Referee: Hugh Watkins (Wales)
Touch judges: Alan Williamson, Ronnie Dumma 
Assessor: Allen Piggott 
Citing commissioner: Douglas Hunter