Nigel Owens will referee the first qualification game for the 2019 Rugby World Cup between St Vincent and the Grenadines and Jamaica.

The fixture between the two islands will take place in the Saint Vincent capital of Kingstown on March 5th.

The last time Owens took charge of a Test match was last year’s Rugby World Cup final between eventual winners New Zealand and Australia at Twickenham.

And now he will take the whistle as the journey towards the next World Cup final begins in the Caribbean, three and a half years before the tournament begins in Japan.

Ahead of the game, Owens said: “It’s honour to be appointed to this important match and I will prepare in the same way as I always do. Indeed, every time I take the field as a referee it is an honour and even more so when it’s a test match.

“Reffing the Rugby 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.

“For the players in this match it will be a chance to represent their country on the international stage and be part of the Rugby World Cup process. So from my point of view, it is important that I prepare well and perform to the best of my ability.

“ Hopefully, if I do that it will be a good game that allows the players’ talents and hard work to shine through.”