Ireland vs France referee: Who is Six Nations official Angus Gardner?

Australia’s Angus Gardner takes charge of the crucial clash between Ireland and France on the penultimate weekend of the Six Nations.

The 39-year-old official took charge of fixtures at the World Cup in the autumn of 2023 having made his tournament debut as an assistant in England in 2015 before stepping up to the refereeing panel four years later in Japan.

He was selected to oversee the semi-final between New Zealand and Argentina at the Stade de France, his first knockout appointment, establishing him as one of the world’s leading officials.

Born in Sydney, Gardner took up refereeing at the age of 15.

He made his Super Rugby debut in 2012, officiating an encounter between the Melbourne Rebels and Queensland Reds.

By that stage, he had already made an international debut – in November 2011, Gardner took charge of an Oceania Cup match between Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu in Port Moresby.

A Tier One debut followed five years later, setting Gardner on a pathway to refereeing matches at the 2019 World Cup.

Match officials for Ireland v France in Dublin

Referee: Angus Gardner (Aus)

Assistant Refeees: Matthew Carley (Eng) & Christophe Ridley (Eng)

Television Match Official: Ian Tempest (Eng)

Foul Play Review Officer: Andrew Jackson (Eng)