7 Jul 2012

No Kiwi whistleblowers - apart from one the Aussies stole

1:32 pm on 7 July 2012

No New Zealand referees will take charge in the upcoming Rugby Championship internationals between the All Blacks, Australia, South Africa and Argentina.

And the only Australian to referee any of the tests is a former New Zealand official is Steve Walsh, who's now considered an Australian ref.

New Zealanders Ben Skeen, Glen Jackson and Vinnie Munro will help out as assistant or video referees in the new four nations competition, which starts on August the 18th when Ireland's Alain Rolland whistles the first Bledisloe Cup match in Sydney.

Walsh and Rolland are joined by Welshman Nigel Owens, France's Romain Poite, England's Wayne Barnes, another Irishman, George Clancy, and two South Africans, Jaco Peyper and Craig Joubert.