Welsh referee Nigel Owens to make rugby union history in Fiji

Nigel Owens will make history on June 11 when he takes charge of his 71st Test match, to become the most experienced international referee in the history of rugby union.

When the 44-year-old Welshman takes to the field for the match between Fiji and Tonga in Suva, he will surpass the milestone of South African Jonathan Kaplan who refereed 70 international fixtures before retiring in 2013.

Since making his Test debut in 2003, when Portugal beat Georgia 34-30 in Lisbon, Owens has become one of the most respected match officials in the sport.

He has gone on to referee 16 times in the Six Nations and 12 in The Rugby Championship, with the highlight arriving last October at Twickenham when he was in charge of the World Cup final between New Zealand and Australia.

He has also blown the whistle in three European Cup finals, which is the most important club/regional competition in the northern hemisphere.

Owens said: "It's an honour to be appointed to this important match and I will prepare in the same way as I always do.

"I don't think anyone goes into refereeing in order to break records like this but I suppose what it says is that I've managed to stay at the top level of the game for a while now, so there is a lot of satisfaction and pride that comes with that.

"Refereeing the World Cup final was a wonderful experience and one that I will treasure forever but every match is memorable in its own way and I am really looking forward to this next challenge in Fiji, where I have never refereed before."

And chairman of the Match Officials Selection Panel, John Jeffrey, added: "I would like to congratulate Nigel on reaching this milestone.

"Over many years, he has shown himself to be one of the best referees in the world and he is a great servant to the game.

"His longevity at the top level of rugby is a testament to his ability, dedication, hard work and perseverance, and I wish him all the best for this record-breaking match."