Six Nations referees are officially announced

Ireland's 2015 Six Nations Championship matches will be refereed by a couple of Frenchmen, an Englishman, a South African and a New Zealander, who referees under the Australian rugby union banner.

France's Pascal Gauzere is in charge when Joe Schmidt's team travel to the Stadio Olimpico in Rome for Ireland's opening game of the tournament, while his countryman Jerome Garces will have the whistle in Ireland's final match against Scotland at Murrayfield.

England’s Wayne Barnes will be the man in the middle when France visit the Aviva stadium while South African Craig Joubert will preside over the eagerly anticipated clash against England, also in Dublin. Steve Walsh will officiate when Ireland travel to the Millennium stadium to take on Wales.

Two of Ireland’s referees, John Lacey and George Clancy, have been appointed to take charge when England host Italy at Twickenham and Scotland do likewise for the Italians at Murrayfield. The pair is also down for touch judge duties in three other matches, while Dudley Phillips run the line when Scotland entertains Wales.

Ulster’s Simon McDowell will act as television match official for five of the games during the tournament.

ROUND 1: Wales v England, Millennium stadium (Jerome Garces,); Italy v Ireland, Stadio Flaminio (Pascal Gauzere); France v Scotland, Stade de France (Nigel Owens).

ROUND 2: England v Italy, Twickenham (John Lacey); Ireland v France, Aviva stadium (Wayne Barnes); Scotland v Wales, Murrayfield (Glen Jackson).

ROUND 3: Scotland v Italy, Murrayfield (George Clancy); France v Wales, Stade de France (Jaco Pepyer); Ireland v England, Aviva stadium (Craig Joubert).

ROUND 4: Wales v Ireland, Millennium stadium (Steve Walsh); England v Scotland, Twickenham (Romain Poite); Italy v France, Stadio Olimpico (JP Doyle).

ROUND 5: Italy v Wales, Stadio Olimpico (Chris Pollack); Scotland v Ireland, Murrayfield (Jerome Garces); England v France, Twickenham (Steve Walsh).