Wales match officials Ben Breakspear and Adam Jones will be key figures in next month’s senior men’s Nations Cup fixtures as World Rugby kick off a new initiative.
On the same day Craig Evans referees the the opening match of the Nations Cup between Uruguay and Georgia at Estadio Charrúa in Montevideo on 4 July, his countrymen will be involved in matches played in America where Breakspear will control the Tonga v Zimbabwe game in Denver, Colorado while Jones will be sitting thousands of miles away in a hub in Basingstoke as the TMO.
Jones will then also be positioned in his booth being the eyes and ears for Italian referee Gianluca Gnecchi for the USA v Portugal clash on the day of double headers on American Independence Day.
The following weekend Evans takes charge of the Chile v Hong Kong clash at Estadio Sausalita, Vina del Mar while on July 18 Breakspear referees the encounter between USA and Spain at the Wake Med Soccer Park, Raleigh, North Carolina while Aled Griffiths is TMO for the Canada v Zimbabwe clash at the Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg.
WRU National Elite Performance match official manager, Ian Davies, said: “Coming into the role just over two years ago we had only Craig Evans and Ben Whitehouse involved in senior international matches – to now have added a further three officials in Ben Breakspear, Adam Jones and Aled Griffiths to that list is not just pleasing on a personal level, but testament to the hard work and support that all of our officials have provided each other since my appointment.
“Having missed out on selection of late, it is pleasing to see Ben Whitehouse back in the fold of senior tier 1 internationals as he heads south to New Zealand.
“Ben Breakspear and Craig Evans will officiate in the Nation’s Cup in North and South America respectively whilst Adam Jones and Aled Griffiths will trial a new World Rugby initiative of TMO’ing that tournament from a hub in Basingstoke.
“Seeing our numbers grow in the world stage after a barren spell is encouraging for those aspiring officials with aspirations to follow suit.”
Designed to deliver consistent, meaningful international fixtures and a compelling narrative for fans, the Nations Cup is a cornerstone of the evolving global calendar alongside the top division, the Nations Championship, strengthening competitiveness and building momentum towards an expanded 24-team Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 in Australia.
Ben Whitehouse has secured three appointments on consecutive weekends in the Nations Championship Southern Hemisphere Series.
He will be FPRO when New Zealand host France in One New Zealand Stadium in Christchurch on Saturday 4 July before switching to TMO duties the following weekend when the All Blacks entertain Italy at Sky Stadium in Wellington. He completes his duties on Saturday 18 July when he is TMO for the All Blacks clash against Ireland at Eden Park.