Lacey To Referee England v Italy

Munster Rugby Coach Development Officer John Lacey will referee his second Six Nations game in the 2015 Championship.

Lacey will be the man in the middle for the England v Italy clash at Twickenham on Saturday, February 14. He will also be the assistant referee for the England v France game on March 21.

It is the Tipperary native's second Six Nations game after he refereed the first match of last year's Championship between Wales and Italy at the Millennium Stadium.

The 41-year-old is a former Munster player and retired from the game at the age of 33 to concentrate on his career as a referee. Click here for more information on John Lacey's role with Munster Rugby.

Lacey was in charge of the weekend's European Champions Cup fixture between Toulouse and Glasgow Warriors in France.

Appointments were made by the World Rugby Match Official Selection Committee at its meeting in Dublin last week and follow a detailed review of recent performances during the November internationals.

With next year's Rugby World Cup rapidly approaching, time is running out for the world's top match officials to stake their claim for inclusion in the panel for the game's pinnacle tournament.

World Rugby Match Official Selection Committee Chairman John Jeffrey said: "With an eye on Rugby World Cup 2015, our focus continues to be clear and consistent decision-making and the highest standards of physical conditioning. Selection for RWC will be made shortly after the Six Nations so these will be important opportunities for the referees, ARs and TMOs.

"As always, we continue to consult with coaches in making our selection decisions and I would like to thank unions for their full commitment and support of the official feedback channels."

The selection system allows for movement in and out of the panel based on form and rewards the top performers and young referees who have graduated through the performance pathway.