The referees for the 2008 RBS Six Nations championship have been announced. Ireland play the opening game of the tournament against Italy at Croke Park and Chris White of England will be in charge.

The IRB have announced the list of referees for the 2008 RBS Six Nations. Ireland will open the tournament at Croke Park against Italy with Chris White of England the man in charge. He will be joined by touch judges Wayne Barnes, also of England, and Peter Allan of Scotland.

Welshman Nigel Owens will take charge of Ireland’s second game, against France at the Stade de France, while Christophe Berdos of France will be in charge of the match against Scotland at Croke Park two weeks later.

The game against Wales sees Wayne Barnes in charge, while Ireland’s last outing of the 2008 tournament – against England at Twickenham on March 15 – will be controlled by Australia’s Stuart Dickinson.

Irish referees Alan Lewis and Alain Rolland also feature on the 2008 Six Nations appointments list. Rolland, who has just been appointed to referee the Rugby World Cup final, will take charge of the Italy v England clash in February while Lewis will be in charge of the France v Italy game in March.

2008 RBS Six Nations Referee List:

February 2

Ireland v Italy, at Croke Park
Referee: Chris White (England)
Touch Judges: Wayne Barnes (England), Peter Allan (Scotland)
Television Match Official: Tim Hayes (Wales)
Assessor: Tappe Henning (South Africa)

England v Wales, at Twickenham
Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa)
Touch Judges: Alan Lewis (Ireland), Romain Poite (France)
Television Match Official: Simon McDowell (Ireland)
Assessor: Douglas Kerr (Scotland)

February 3

Scotland v France, at Murrayfield
Referee: Paul Honiss (New Zealand)
Touch Judges: Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand), Taizo Hirabayashi (Japan)
Television Match Official: Rob Debney (England)
Assessor: Michel Lamoulie (France)

February 9

Wales v Scotland, at the Millennium Stadium
Referee: Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand)
Touch Judges: Paul Honiss (New Zealand), Christophe Berdos (France)
Television Match Official: Carlo Damasco (Italy)
Assessor: Jim Bailey (Wales)

France v Ireland, at Stade de France
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Touch Judges: Chris White (England), Tim Hayes (Wales)
Television Match Official: Hugh Watkins (Wales)
Assessor: Tappe Henning (South Africa)

February 10

Italy v England, at Stadio Flaminio
Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland)
Touch Judges: Joël Jutge (France), Taizo Hirabayashi (Japan)
Television Match Official: Simon McDowell (Ireland)
Assessor: Paul Bridgman (England)

February 23

Wales v Italy, at the Millennium Stadium
Referee: Dave Pearson (England)
Touch Judges: Wayne Barnes (England), Malcolm Changleng (Scotland)
Television Match Official: Rob Debney (England)
Assessor: Tappe Henning (Scotland)

Ireland v Scotland, at Croke Park
Referee: Christophe Berdos (France)
Touch Judges: Joël Jutge (France), Hugh Watkins (Wales)
Television Match Official: Romain Poite (France)
Assessor: Steve Hilditch (Ireland)

France v England, at the Stade de France
Referee: Steve Walsh (New Zealand)
Touch Judges: Alain Rolland (Ireland), Carlo Damasco (Italy)
Television Match Official: George Clancy (Ireland)
Assessor: Michel Lamoulie (France)

March 8

Ireland v Wales, at Croke Park
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Touch Judges: Christophe Berdos (France), Peter Allan (Scotland)
Television Match Official: Malcolm Changleng (Scotland)
Assessor: Steve Hilditch (Ireland)

Scotland v England, at Murrayfield
Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa)
Touch Judges: Marius Jonker (South Africa), Carlo Damasco (Italy)
Television Match Official: Tim Hayes (Wales)
Assessor: Patrick Robin (France)

March 9

France v Italy, at the Stade de France
Referee: Alan Lewis (Ireland)
Touch Judges: Stuart Dickinson (Australia), Federico Cuesta (Argentina)
Television Match Official: Dave Pearson (England)
Assessor: Michel Lamoulie (France)

March 15

Italy v Scotland, at Stadio Flaminio
Referee: Joël Jutge (France)
Touch Judges: Chris White (England), Simon McDowell (Ireland)
Television Match Official: Romain Poite (France)
Assessor: Douglas Kerr (Scotland)

England v Ireland, at Twickenham
Referee: Stuart Dickinson (Australia)
Touch Judges: Nigel Owens (Wales), Tim Hayes (Wales)
Television Match Official: Hugh Watkins (Wales)
Assessor: Steve Hilditch (Ireland)

Wales v France, at the Millenium Stadium
Referee: Marius Jonker (South Africa)
Touch Judges: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa), Federico Cuesta (Argentina)
Television Match Official: Carlo Damasco (Italy)
Assessor: Paul Bridgman (England)

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