Ben O’Keeffe, fellow countryman of Williams and Doleman, will referee Scotland’s trip to Cardiff and has been spared a rendezvous with France. French captain Antoine Dupont said that the Kiwi was “not up to the challenge” of officiating after France’s defeat to the Springboks in the quarter-finals of the World Cup.
When Pearce officiates Wales against France at the Principality Stadium, too, he will become the third Englishman after Wayne Barnes and Chris White to referee 50 Tests.
2024 Six Nations appointments
Round one
Friday, February 2: France v Ireland
- Referee: Karl Dickson (Eng)
- Assistant Referee 1: Matthew Carley (Eng)
- Assistant Referee 2: Jordan Way (Aus)
- TMO: Ben Whitehouse (Wal)
Saturday, February 3: Italy v England
- Referee: Paul Williams (NZ)
- Assistant Referee 1: Nic Berry (Aus)
- Assistant Referee 2: Pierre Brousset (Fra)
- TMO: Brett Cronan (Aus)
Saturday, February 3: Wales v Scotland
- Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (NZ)
- Assistant Referee 1: James Doleman (NZ)
- Assistant Referee 2: Angus Mabey (NZ)
- TMO: Brendon Pickerill (NZ)
Round two
Saturday, February 10: Scotland v France
- Referee: Nic Berry (Aus)
- Assistant Referee 1: Nika Amashukeli (Geo)
- Assistant Referee 2: Jordan Way (Aus)
- TMO: Brian MacNeice (Ire)
Saturday, February 10: England v Wales
- Referee: James Doleman (NZ)
- Assistant Referee 1: Ben O’Keeffe (NZ)
- Assistant Referee 2: Hollie Davidson (Sco)
- TMO: Brendon Pickerill (NZ)
Sunday, February 11: Ireland v Italy
- Referee: Pierre Brousset (Fra)
- Assistant Referee 1: Mathieu Raynal (Fra)
- Assistant Referee 2: Luc Ramos (Fra)
- TMO: Eric Gauzins (Fra)
Round three
Saturday, February 24: Ireland v Wales
- Referee: Andrea Piardi (Ita)
- Assistant Referee 1: Karl Dickson (Eng)
- Assistant Referee 2: Gianluca Gnecchi (Ita)
- TMO: Eric Gauzins (Ita)
Saturday, February 24: Scotland v England
- Referee: Andrew Brace (Ire)
- Assistant Referee 1: Chris Busby (Ire)
- Assistant Referee 2: Eoghan Cross (Ire)
- TMO: Marius Jonker (SA)
Sunday, February 25: France v Italy
- Referee: Christophe Ridley (Eng)
- Assistant Referee 1: Matthew Carley (Eng)
- Assistant Referee 2: Craig Evans (Wal)
- TMO: Ian Tempest (Eng)
Round four
Saturday, March 9: Italy v Scotland
- Referee: Jaco Peyper (SA)
- Assistant Referee 1: Karl Dickson (Eng)
- Assistant Referee 2: Adam Leal (Eng)
- TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (SA)
Saturday, March 9: England v Ireland
- Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Geo)
- Assistant Referee 1: Andrea Piardi (Fra)
- Assistant Referee 2: Craig Evans (Wal)
- TMO: Ben Whitehouse (Wal)
Sunday, March 10:Wales v France
- Referee: Luke Pearce (Eng)
- Assistant Referee 1: Andrew Brace (Ire)
- Assistant Referee 2: Damian Schneider (Arg)
- TMO: Ian Tempest (R)
Round five
Saturday, March 16: Wales v Italy
- Referee: Mathieu Raynal (FFR)
- Assistant Referee 1: Chris Busby (IRFU)
- Assistant Referee 2: Morné Ferreira (SARU) T
- TMO: Joy Neville (IRFU)
Saturday, March 16: Ireland v Scotland
- Referee: Matthew Carley (RFU)
- Assistant Referee 1: Karl Dickson (RFU)
- Assistant Referee 2: Christophe Ridley (RFU)
- TMO: Marius Jonker (SARU)
Saturday, March 16: France v England
- Referee: Angus Gardner (RA)
- Assistant Referee 1: Nika Amashukeli (GRU)
- Assistant Referee 2: Damian Schneider (UAR)
- TMO: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)