England v Scotland Six Nations referee: New Zealander Paul Williams takes charge plus all 2023 tournament appointments

New Zealand referee Paul Williams will take charge of Scotland’s Guinness Six Nations opener against England at Twickenham on February 4.

Scottish referee Mike Adamson. (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group)

Williams will lead an all-Kiwi officiating team comprising assistants Ben O'Keeffe and James Doleman, and television match official (TMO) Brendon Pickerill.

Ireland’s Andrew Brace will be at the helm for Scotland v Wales at BT Murrayfield a week later and Georgia’s Nika Amashukeli has been appointed referee for France v Scotland in Paris on February 26.

Luke Pearce of the RFU will take charge of Scotland’s home game against Ireland on March 12 and Angus Gardner of Australia will referee Scotland v Italy on March 18, the final day of the championship.

Referee Paul Williams will take charge of England v Scotland. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

Scotland’s Mike Adamson will referee the Italy v Ireland match on 25 February. He is the sole Scottish refereeing appointment in the championship but Hollie Davidson, Ben Blain and Sam Grove-White have been given officiating roles in the 2023 Under-20 Six Nations.

Adamson is a former Scotland Sevens player who moved into refereeing in 2014. He took charge of Wales v England in last season’s Six Nations.

Davidson will referee Italy v Ireland and England v France in the U20 Six Nations matches and be assistant for Ireland v England.

Blain will act as assistant referee during both the Wales v Ireland and Ireland v France U20 Six Nations matches. He has also been appointed as TMO for the Italy v Ireland and England v France U20 Six Nations games.

Grove-White will join his Scottish colleagues as assistant referee in both the Italy v Ireland and England v France U20 matches.

2023 Guinness Six Nations referees

ROUND 1

Wales v Ireland: Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Saturday, 4 February – Referee: Karl Dickson (RFU), Assistant Referee 1: Angus Gardner (RA), Assistant Referee 2: Luke Pearce (RFU), TMO: Tom Foley (RFU).

England v Scotland: Twickenham Stadium, London, Saturday, 4 February – Referee: Paul Williams (NZR), Assistant Referee 1: Ben O'Keeffe (NZR), Assistant Referee 2: James Doleman (NZR), TMO: Brendon Pickerill (NZR).

Italy v France: Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Sunday, 5 February – Referee: Matthew Carley (RFU), Assistant Referee 1: Nic Berry (RA), Assistant Referee 2: Jordan Way (RA), TMO: Ben Whitehouse (WRU).

ROUND 2

Ireland v France: Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Saturday, 11 February – Referee: Wayne Barnes (RFU), Assistant Referee 1: Matthew Carley (RFU), Assistant Referee 2: Jordan Way (RA), TMO: Brendon Pickerill (NZR).

Scotland v Wales: BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh, Saturday, 11 February – Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU), Assistant Referee 1: Frank Murphy (IRFU), Assistant Referee 2: Chris Busby (IRFU), TMO: Brian MacNeice (IRFU).

England v Italy: Twickenham Stadium, London, Sunday, 12 February – Referee: James Doleman (NZR), Assistant Referee 1: Mathieu Raynal (FFR), Assistant Referee 2: Tual Trainini (FFR), TMO: Eric Gauzins (FFR).

ROUND 3

Italy v Ireland: Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Saturday, 25 February – Referee: Mike Adamson (SRU), Assistant Referee 1: Wayne Barnes (RFU), Assistant Referee 2: Craig Evans (WRU), TMO: Marius Jonker (SARU).

Wales v England: Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Saturday, 25 February – Referee: Mathieu Raynal (FFR), Assistant Referee 1: Andrew Brace (IRFU), Assistant Referee 2: Pierre Brousset (FFR), TMO: Brian MacNeice (IRFU).

France v Scotland: Stade de France, Paris, Sunday, 26 February – Referee: Nika Amashukeli (GRU), Assistant Referee 1: Karl Dickson (RFU), Assistant Referee 2: Andrea Piardi (FIR), TMO: Ben Whitehouse (WRU).

ROUND 4

Italy v Wales: Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Saturday, 11 March – Referee: Damon Murphy (RA), Assistant Referee 1: Karl Dickson (RFU), Assistant Referee 2: Chris Busby (IRFU), TMO: Joy Neville (IRFU).

England v France: Twickenham Stadium, London, Saturday, 11 March – Referee: Ben O'Keeffe (NZR), Assistant Referee 1: Jaco Peyper (SARU), Assistant Referee 2: Andrea Piardi (FIR), TMO: Brett Cronan (RA).

Scotland v Ireland: BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh, Sunday, 12 March – Referee: Luke Pearce (RFU), Assistant Referee 1: Wayne Barnes (RFU), Assistant Referee 2: Christophe Ridley (FFR), TMO: Stuart Terheege (RFU).

ROUND 5

Scotland v Italy: BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh, Saturday, 18 March – Referee: Angus Gardner (RA), Assistant Referee 1: Matthew Carley (RFU), Assistant Referee 2: Craig Evans (WRU), TMO: Brett Cronan.

France v Wales: Stade de France, Paris, Saturday, 18 March – Referee: Nic Berry (RA), Assistant Referee 1: Andrew Brace (IRFU), Assistant Referee 2: Christophe Ridley (FFR), TMO: Joy Neville (IRFU).

Ireland v England: Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Saturday, 18 March – Referee: Jaco Peyper (SARU), Assistant Referee 1: Ben O'Keeffe (NZR), Assistant Referee 2: Pierre Brousset (FFR), TMO: Marius Jonker (SARU).