The man who took control of the last game of the 2015 tournament will also be the first out in September when he referees the opening game between Japan and Lyn Jones’ Russian side at the Tokyo Stadium on 20 September.
“My first Tier 1 Test match was actually in Osaka in 2005 when Japan met Ireland in Osaka and I was there last year as well officiating Japan against Georgia,” said Owens.
Owens was the man in the middle when the road to Japan kicked-off on 5 March, 2016, when he controlled the first match in the 2019 Rugby World Cup qualifying process between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines against Jamaica in Arnos Vale.
While he leads the way as the world’s most capped official with 87 Tests behind him, he is currently only fourth equal when it comes to the World Cup.
MOST MATCHES AS A WORLD CUP REFEREE
Wayne Barnes (England) 15
Alain Rolland (Ireland) 14
Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa) 13
Nigel Owens (Wales) 12
Steve Walsh (New Zealand) 12
Craig Joubert (South Africa) 12
As well as the opening game in Tokyo, Owens will referee Italy v Canada at the Fukuoka Hakatanomori Stadium on 26 September, Scotland v Samoa at the Kobe Misaki Stadium four days later and USA v Tonga at the Hanazono Rugby Stadium on 13 October.
He will also be the No 1 Assistant Referee for the games between Italy and Namibia on 22 September and England against France on 12 October. Barnes, the former Monmouth School pupil, has been handed three pool matches and will be hoping to bring his career to a close by bidding for a first World Cup final.
Both Owens and Barnes will be officiating at a record equalling fourth World Cup, matching the record held by Welshman Derek Bevan and Scotland’s Jim Fleming, who were both involved in the competition from 1987-99.
Meanwhile, Warren Gatland’s side will have the Pontypool-born Luke Pearce in charge of their opening pool match against Georgia at the City of Toyota Stadium on 23 September. Pearce moved to Exeter with his family when he was three and went to watch his Dad, Andrew, most weekends when he was refereeing out of the Devon Society.
His father was still acting as a touch-judge in the Premiership by the time his son made the grade as a professional referee at the RFU at the young age of 21. The game between Wales and Georgia will be his World Cup debut and his second game involving Wales having been in charge of the home win over the Springboks at Principality Stadium in November, 2018.
Another Welsh-born official, Andrew Brace, will also be involved in Japan. Cardiff-born Brace, a former Munster rugby community officer, is registered as an Irish official despite having played internationally as a player at scrum half for Belgium.
He will be an Assistant Referee in six pool matches at what will also be his first tournament. His debut will come when he joins Pearce on the touchline for the game between Australia and Fiji.
WALES WORLD CUP POOL MATCH OFFICIALS
Wales v Georgia, City of Toyota Stadium, 23 September
Luke Pearce (Eng), Ben O’Keeffe (NZ), Matt Carley (Eng), Rowan Kitt (Eng, TMO)
Australia v Wales, Tokyo Stadium, 29 September
Romain Poite (Fr), Luke Pearce (Eng), Karl Dickson (Eng), Ben Skeen (NZ, TMO)
Wales v Fiji, Oita Stadium, 9 October
Jerome Garces (Fr), Romain Poite (Fr), Karl Dickson (Eng), Ben Skeen (NZ, TMO)
Wales v Uruguay, Kumamoto Stadium, 13 October
Angus Gardner (Aus), Luke Pearce (Eng), Karl Dickson (Eng), Rowan Kitt (Eng, TMO)
Two of Wales four pool matches will be refereed by Frenchmen. Romain Poite will be in charge of the second round match against Australia, while Jerome Garces will referee the clash with Fiji.
Four French referees for Wales in their warm-up matches, with Poite taking the game against Ireland at Principality Stadium on 31 August ahead of meeting up with the Welsh players again in Tokyo for the pool game with Australia
Mathieu Raynal will be in the middle for the game against England at Twickenham on 11 August and then the final fixture before Japan against the Irish in Dublin on 7 September. Poite will be in Cardiff for the first game against Ireland a week earlier, while Pascal Gauzere will be at Principality Stadium for the return game against England on 17 August.
