New Zealand referees to make first appearance at 2022 FIFA World Cup

posted in: News, Referees

New Zealand referees Matt Conger and Mark Rule will make their first appearance at the 2022 FIFA World Cup when they officiate the final Group D game between France and Tunisia on Thursday.

Conger will referee the match, which kicks off at 4am (NZT), while Rule will be one of the assistant referees.

Conger is one of 36 match referees selected by FIFA for the tournament, while Rule is part of a pool of 69 officials to be assistant referees at the tournament.

Conger has already experienced conditions in Qatar, having refereed at the FIFA Arab Cup in December and at the Oceania World Cup qualifiers in March.

Conger refereed at the FIFA World Cup in Russia in 2018 while Rule was an assistant referee in Brazil in 2014.

Main photo: Matt Conger … at his second World Cup finals. Photo: Shane Wenzlick / Phototek.

The 129 officials chosen for the tournament also include 24 video match officials, and the list includes six women who will become the first to officiate at a men’s World Cup finals.

Games to be played on Thursday December 1, 2022

Group D

Tunisia v France
Education City Stadium, Doha, 4am (NZT)

Australia v Denmark
Al Wakrah Sports Complex, Al Wakrah, 4am (NZT)

Mark Rule. Photo: Shane Wenzlick / Phototek.

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