Nika Amashukeli has been handed one of the biggest assignments in his refereeing career after being confirmed as the referee for the third Test between South Africa and New Zealand at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg on Saturday, 5 September.
Kick-off is at 17:10.
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The Georgian official, who will turn 32 later this month, was originally scheduled to referee the second Test in Cape Town on 29 August, but illness ruled him out.
Australian referee Angus Gardner stepped in for that match, which the Springboks won 33-26 to level the four-Test series at 1-1.
World Rugby subsequently confirmed that Amashukeli would take charge of the crucial third Test instead.
Who is Nika Amashukeli?
Born in Tbilisi, Georgia, in 1994, Amashukeli initially played football before taking up rugby at the age of 11 with Georgian club Jiki.
He played primarily at flanker and centre, representing Georgia at age-group level, but a succession of injuries forced him to end his playing career.
He had suffered several concussions, as well as ankle and knee injuries, by his early 20s.
Rather than leaving rugby behind, Amashukeli turned to refereeing.
His rise through the ranks was rapid, eventually taking him onto the international stage.
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A history-making referee
Amashukeli made history in 2022 when he became the first referee from outside the traditional Six Nations nations to referee a Six Nations match, taking charge of Ireland against Italy.
He subsequently refereed at the 2023 Rugby World Cup and has built a growing portfolio of elite appointments across international rugby, the Champions Cup, Top 14 and United Rugby Championship.
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A huge assignment in Johannesburg
Now, Amashukeli returns to the centre of the action for a potentially decisive Test.
With the series level at 1-1, the Springboks and All Blacks head to Johannesburg knowing that victory will put them one step closer to claiming the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series.
Amashukeli will have Angus Gardner and England’s Christophe Ridley as his assistant referees, with France’s Eric Gauzins serving as TMO.
For the 31-year-old Georgian, it represents another major milestone in a remarkable rise from rugby player to one of the game’s most prominent international referees.
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Record refereeing the Springboks
To date, Amashukeli has refereed the Springboks on four occasions.
South Africa have won three of those matches – and perhaps crucially – the only match against the All Blacks.
The Springboks also boast wins over Wales and Argentina when Amashukeli had the whistle, with their only defeat to date coming against Ireland at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin in November 2022.
