French referee Pierre Brousset will take charge of England's Nations Championship opener against Australia at Twickenham on Sunday afternoon.

The 37-year-old has been handed another major international appointment as England look to make a winning start to their November campaign.

However, Brousset previously suffered a frustrating setback when he was forced to withdraw from a Six Nations fixture at the last minute.

The Frenchman was due to referee Ireland's clash with Italy in February 2024, which would have been his tournament debut.

But an injury ruled him out, with English official Luke Pearce stepping in as his replacement.

It meant Brousset had to wait another year to achieve one of his biggest refereeing ambitions.

He finally made his Six Nations debut in February 2025, taking charge of England's Calcutta Cup victory over Scotland at Twickenham.

Who is Pierre Brousset?

Born in Rieumes, France, on 15 January 1989, Brousset initially hoped to make a career as a rugby player.

The former scrum-half played for Sporting-Club de Rieumes in the French lower leagues before deciding to concentrate on refereeing.

He passed his first refereeing examination at just 17 and eventually gave up playing around the age of 20.

By 2016, he was officiating in France's Top 14, where he became one of the youngest referees in the competition's history.

He turned his attention to full-time refereeing in 2018 and has since worked across the European Champions Cup, Rugby Championship and international Test rugby.

Brousset also took charge of England's Six Nations opener against Wales earlier this year and their November 2025 victory over Argentina.

His latest appointment sees him return to Twickenham, where he will oversee another high-profile clash involving Steve Borthwick's side.

England vs Australia match officials

World Rugby has confirmed the full officiating team for Sunday's Nations Championship fixture.

• Referee: Pierre Brousset (France)
• Assistant referee 1: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia)
• Assistant referee 2: Jérémy Rozier (France)
• Television Match Official (TMO): Tual Trainini (France)
• Foul Play Review Officer (FPRO): Matteo Liperini (Italy)

Match details:

• Fixture: England vs Australia
• Competition: Nations Championship 2026
• Date: Sunday, 8 November
• Venue: Allianz Stadium, Twickenham
• Kick-off: 3:10pm GMT

Brousset is also scheduled to referee Wales against New Zealand in Cardiff on Saturday, 14 November.