Jérôme Garcès will become Saturday the first French referee to lead a World Cup final, chosen Tuesday by World Rugby for the clash between England and South Africa, in Yokohama (suburb of Tokyo), the last match of his career .
The 46-year-old Béarnais had already become in 2015 in England the first tri-color referee at the whistle of a World Cup semifinal, the one between New Zealand and South Africa. He was competing for the final with Welsh Nigel Owens, referee of the 2015 World Final.
His career and his year 2019 will end in style since he had already led the final of the Saracens-Leinster European Cup in May and that of the Top 14 Toulouse-Clermont in June.
"It's a dream as an arbitrator"
"I am honored and delighted to have been named referee of the 2019 World Cup. It is a dream as an umpire, but it is a team sport, and we are four (he will be assisted by the French Roman Poite and New Zealander Ben O'Keeffe, and New Zealander Ben Skeen on video, Ed), "he said in the World Rugby statement.
"We will be there to give the best for the teams, the fans, the sport and the entire team of officials, as well as the volunteers who have worked so hard for four years, culminating in the World Cup". -he adds.
The match for 3rd place, Friday in Tokyo between New Zealand and Wales, will be refereed by Englishman Wayne Barnes, assisted by Frenchman Pascal Gaüzère and South African Jaco Peyper. The latter had not been selected for the semi-finals after being photographed with Welsh fans miming the nudge of the French Sebastien Vahaamahina, he had excluded in the quarterfinals for this gesture against the Wales (20-19 for Welsh).