Jaco Peyper was not considered by World Rugby to referee either of this weekend’s World Cup semi-finals after a viral picture angered France following their defeat to Wales.
Instead Nigel Owens will take charge of England vs New Zealand on Saturday, assisted by Pascal Gauzere and Romain Poite (with Marius Jonker as TMO).
Jerome Garces will referee Wales vs South Africa on Sunday. Englishman Wayne Barnes and Kiwi Ben O'Keeffe will assist him, with Ben Skeen as TMO.
A World Rugby statement said that Peyper “recognises that a picture of him with Wales fans, which appeared on social media after the Wales versus France quarter-final, was inappropriate and he has apologised”.
The picture showed Peyper and the fans pretending to elbow each other in the face.
A few hours earlier, Peyper had red carded France’s Sebastien Vahaamahina for elbowing Wales’s Aaron Wainwright.
Vahaamahina yesterday announced his retirement from international rugby, but will face a disciplinary hearing on Thursday that is likely to lead to a lengthy ban.
