Paddy O'Brien, referee for the opening game on Friday, claims the pressure of the event will not effect him.
The New Zealand referee will be in charge of his first World Cup game but insists a 70,000 crowd, and millions watching on TV will not cause him to alter his referring style.
"I'm not that worried about it," he said. "There will be comments after the first game about whether the tournament will be a disaster or OK, but it's a responsibility which I'm quite happy to carry and it's a challenge I look forward to rather than worry about."
"Both coaches are well-known to me and they know my style. Paddy O'Brien won't change how he referees and hopefully both coaches will be happy with what they see."
O'Brien has been a referee for 15 years, and first officiated in a test match in 1995 at the old National Stadium in Cardiff.