ARGENTINA take on New Zealand in a thrilling Rugby World Cup semifinal – and experienced official Angus Gardner will be in charge.
The All Blacks will be expected to progress into the final after coming out on top in an epic last-eight contest against Six Nations champions Ireland.
AFP or licensorsAngus Gardner will be in charge of Argentina vs New Zealand[/caption]
However, it is not a foregone conclusion as the Argentines are on cloud nine after shockingly knocking out Wales.
But one thing we do know is information on the man in the middle.
Who is Angus Gardner?
Angus Gardner was born in Sydney in 1984.
As a teenager, he was a keen rugby player until he was diagnosed with Scheuremann’s Disease [a hereditary disc condition].
Of the moment he was diagnosed, Gardner told Sydney Morning Herald: “The doctor was like ‘mate, you need to take up fishing’ and that was devastating to hear.
“One of the teachers suggested refereeing as a way of staying involved and I went from there.”
Gardner refereed his first international match in 2011, taking charge of Papua New Guinea vs Vanuatu.
A year later he refereed his first Super Rugby fixture, Queensland Reds vs Melbourne Rebels.
In 2018, he refereed the Super Rugby final, and the same year he went on to win World Rugby’s Referee of the Year award.
When is Argentina vs New Zealand?
Argentina’s huge Rugby World Cup semifinal against New Zealand will take place on Friday, October 20.It is scheduled to get underway at 8pm BST.Stade de France, Saint-Denis is the allocated arena for this epic Rugby World Cup tie and it can host around 80,000 roaring fans.New Zealand ran out 41-12 winners when the sides last met in a 2023 Rugby Championship contest in July.