Rugby-Barnes to take charge of record 101st test in November

(Reuters) - England's Wayne Barnes will become just the second referee to reach a century of tests when he takes charge of Wales v New Zealand on Nov. 5 before he surpasses Nigel Owens with a record 101st match the following week, World Rugby said on Wednesday.

Barnes will set the new mark on Nov. 12 when he takes charge of the match between Six Nations Grand Slam winners France and world champions South Africa.

World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont paid tribute to the consistency shown by Barnes over the course of his career.

" To be so good for so long as a referee is no easy feat," Beaumont said in a statement.

"Wayne Barnes, like Nigel Owens before him, reaches 100 tests by being not just a fantastic referee, but a great team player, a student of the game and someone who is greatly respected by players, coaches and fans alike."

(Reporting by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)