Changleng To Referee First Test Match

Scotland’s Malcolm Changleng has been appointed to referee his first full Test match involving a Tier 1 nation. Changleng (Gala), who celebrated his 37th birthday yesterday, will control South Africa’s match with Samoa in Johannesburg on Saturday 9 June. “To go to Ellis Park, one of the iconic stadia of world rugby, will be a tremendous experience,” Changleng said today. Scotland’s Malcolm Changleng has been appointed to referee his first full Test match involving a Tier 1 nation. Changleng (Gala), who celebrated his 37th birthday yesterday, will control South Africa’s match with Samoa in Johannesburg on Saturday 9 June. “To go to Ellis Park, one of the iconic stadia of world rugby, will be a tremendous experience,” Changleng said today. Changleng will also go the Rugby World Cup this autumn as one of 13 touch-judges. He went on: “I remember Joel Stransky dropping a goal to win the 1995 World Cup for South Africa in that very stadium. I was watching out of the corner of my eye on TV as I was out-running Doddie Weir at the Stow Sports and it’s just fantastic to think now that I’ll be gracing that hallowed turf.” Changleng, whose twin brother David took up refereeing before he did, played on the wing for Gala for ten years, helping the club to the Scottish Cup in 1999 and also played for Border Reivers in the Heineken Cup. He has been refereeing since 2000 and cites the influence of Bill Calder, Jim Fleming, Brian Anderson, Iain Goodall and Roy McCombe for helping him rise through the refereeing ranks. Changleng became a professional referee with Scottish Rugby in 2003 and has refereed 12 Heineken Cup matches; the U19 World Cup in Paris; the U21 World cup in Mendoza, Argentina; and on the IRB sevens circuit including Dubai, Cape Town and the IRB Sevens World Cup 2005 in Hong Kong. He has also refereed World Cup qualifiers, last year between Barbados and Canada and earlier this year between Spain and Romania He has been touch-judging in the RBS 6 Nations Championship since 2004 and the Tri-Nations since 2005. In total he has run the line at some 20 Test matches. Scottish Rugby’s Referee Manager Roy McCombe said today: “We’re very pleased that Malcolm’s consistency has been rewarded with his first Test match. “It’s also very encouraging that Malcolm will touch-judge at the World Cup this autumn and that his twin brother David and another of our referees, Peter Allan, will be involved during the summer internationals. “Together with the recent appointments of Andy Macpherson to this season’s IRB Sevens and Barclay’s Churchill Cup, Neil Paterson to the IRB U19 World Championship and Peter Allan to the Nations Cup, Scottish refereeing is very much on the up.” The full list of refereeing and touch-judge appointments for Scots from May through until the World Cup pool stages is Malcolm Changleng Referee: South Africa v Samoa, 9 June, Johannesburg Touch-judge: South Africa v England, 26 May, Bloemfontein; South Africa v England, 2 June, Pretoria Television Match Official: France v England, 18 August, Marseille Rugby World Cup Touch-judge: Australia v Japan, 8 September, Lyon; Ireland v Namibia, 9 September, Bordeaux; Japan v Fiji, 12 September, Toulouse; Ireland v Georgia, 15 September, Bordeaux; Italy v Portugal, 19 September, Parc des Princes, Paris; South Africa v Tonga, 22 September, Lens; Georgia v Namibia, 26 September, Lens; New Zealand v Romania, 29 September, Toulouse; South Africa v USA, 30 September, Montpellier David Changleng Touch-judge: Japan v Samoa, 16 June, Sendai City; Japan v Junior All Blacks, 24 June, Tokyo Peter Allan Referee: IRB Nations Cup, 5-16 June, Bucharest Andrew Macpherson Referee: Barclay’s Churchill Cup, 18 May-2 June, England Scottish Rugby is also scheduled to appoint a TMO for Malcolm Changleng when he referees the South Africa v Samoa match. Meanwhile the release of the appointments means that Scotland now know who will handle their matches in this period. Bank of Scotland Corporate August Tests at Murrayfield 11 August – Scotland v Ireland; Referee: Tony Spreadbury (England). Touch-judges: Wayne Barnes (England) and Carlo Damasco (Italy). TMO: RFU to appoint 25 August – Scotland v South Africa; Referee: Cristophe Berdos (France). Touch-judges: Tony Spreadbury and Rob Debney (both England). TMO: IRFU to appoint Rugby World Cup 9 September – Scotland v Portugal, St Etienne; Referee: Steve Walsh (New Zealand). Touch-judges: Marius Jonker (South Africa) and Hugh Watkins (Wales). TMO: Dave Pearson (England) 18 September – Scotland v Romania, Murrayfield; Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales). Touch-judges: Craig Joubert (South Africa) and Cristophe Berdos (France). TMO: Mark Lawrence (South Africa) 23 September – Scotland v New Zealand, Murrayfield; Referee: Marius Jonker (South Africa). Touch-judges: Paul Marks (Australia) and Dave Pearson (England). TMO: Hugh Watkins (Wales) 29 September – Scotland v Italy, St Etienne; Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa). Touch-judges: Wayne Barnes (England) and Huw Watkins (Wales). TMO: Dave Pearson (England)