This weekend sees referees from around the north go on their European travels as the EPCR cups kick off. There’s also three Women’s internationals with Nikki O’Donnell looking after Scotland v Wales in Glasgow, Rebecca Mahoney (NZ) overseeing England v France (the rematch!) and then Aurelie Grozeleau seeing whether the Japanese success in RWC2019 can pass onto their female side who play Italy.
In what looks like it could be a cracking game, England’s Tom Foley gets his first taste of the big international scene, as Fiji take on the Barbarians at Twickenham. Plenty of ball-in-play time in prospect there.
Last season’s Heineken Cup Winners, Saracens will be in Paris as Racing 92 hope their Euro campaign is better than their Top14 season start! Ireland’s Andrew Brace will be watching closely! One referee who will hope for a quiet afternoon will be Georgia’s Nika Amashukeli who will try and stay out of the referee blood bin this time. He referees the Leicester v Pau match in the Challenge Cup. We’ve also got the top line appointments from Scotland and Italy as well.
Enjoy wherever you are this weekend.
Keith
Women’s Internationals
England v France (in Exeter)
Referee: Rebecca Mahoney (New Zealand)
ARs: Clara Munarini (Italy) & Clare Daniels (England)
TMO: Leo Colgan (Ireland)
Italy v Japan (in L’Aquila)
Referee: Aurelie Grozeleau (France)
ARs: Laura Pettingale (England) & tbc
TMO: Éric Gauzens (France)
Scotland v Wales (in Glasgow)
Referee: Nikki O’Donnell (England)
ARs: Katherine Ritchie (England) & Jonny Perriam (Scotland)
TMO: David Rose (England)
International
Barbarians vs Fiji (at Twickenham)
Referee: Tom Foley (England)
ARs: Simon Harding (England) & Dean Richards (England)
TMO: David Grashoff (England)
Heineken Champions Cup – Round 1
Gloucester Rugby v Toulouse
Referee: Ben Whitehouse (Wal)
ARs: Gwyn Morris (Wal) & Wayne Davies (Wal)
TMO: Ian Davies (Wal)
Bath Rugby v Ulster Rugby
Referee: Marius Mitrea (Ita)
ARs: Manuel Bottino (Ita) & Matteo Liperini (Ita)
TMO: Stefano Penne (Ita)
Glasgow Warriors v Sale Sharks
Referee: Alexandre Ruiz (Fra)
ARs: Adrien Descottes (Fra) & Cedric Marchat (Fra)
TMO: Patrick Dellac (Fra)
La Rochelle v Exeter Chiefs
Referee: Mike Adamson (Sco)
ARs: Sam Grove-White (Sco) & Dave Sutherland (Sco)
TMO: Neil Paterson (Sco)
Leinster Rugby v Benetton Rugby
Referee: Pierre Brousset (Fra)
ARs: Tual Trainini (Fra) & Laurent Cardona (Fra)
TMO: Eric Briquet-Campin (Fra)
ASM Clermont Auvergne v Harlequins
Referee: Dan Jones (Wal)
ARs: Mike English (Wal) & Gareth Newman (Wal)
TMO: Sean Brickell (Wal)
Ospreys v Munster Rugby
Referee: Karl Dickson (Eng)
ARs: Ian Tempest (Eng) & Paul Dix (Eng)
TMO: Stuart Terheege (Eng)
Connacht Rugby v Montpellier
Referee: Matthew Carley (Eng)
ARs: Hamish Smales (Eng) & Simon McConnell (Eng)
TMO: Graham Hughes (Eng)
Northampton Saints v Lyon
Referee: Frank Murphy (Ire)
ARs: George Clancy (Ire) & Robert O’Sullivan (Ire)
TMO: Olly Hodges (Ire)
Racing 92 v Saracens
Ref: Andrew Brace (Ireland)
ARs: Stuart Gaffikin (Ireland) & Paul Haycock (Ireland)
TMO: Brian MacNeice (Ireland)
European Challenge Cup – Round 1
Enisei-STM v Worcester Warriors
Referee: Andrea Piardi (Ita)
ARs: Gianluca Gnecchi (Ita) & Federico Vedovelli (Ita)
Agen v Edinburgh Rugby
Referee: Joy Neville (Ire)
ARs: Jonny Erskine (Ire) & Richard Kerr (Ire)
Bayonne v RC Toulon
Referee: Craig Evans (Wal)
ARs: Adam Jones (Wal) & Aled Evans (Wal)
TMO: Jonathan Mason (Wal)
Stade Francais Paris v Brive
Referee: Christophe Ridley (Eng)
ARs: Anthony Woodthorpe (Eng) & Neil Chivers (Eng)
Rugby Calvisano Cardiff Blues
Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys (Eng)
ARs: Adam Leal (Eng) & Phil Watters (Eng)
Bristol Bears v Zebre Rugby Club
Referee: Ludovic Cayre (Fra)
ARs: Julien Castaignede (Fra) & Pierre-Baptiste Nuchy (Fra)
Leicester Tigers v Pau
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Geo)
ARs: Shota Tevzadze (Geo) & Saba Abulashvili (Geo)
Dragons v Castres Olympique
Referee: JP Doyle (Eng)
ARs: Anthony Woodthorpe (Eng) & Andrew Jackson (Eng)
Scarlets v London Irish
Referee: Sean Gallagher (Ire)
ARs: Nigel Correll (Ire) & John Carvill (Ire)
TMO: Simon McDowell (Ire)
Bordeaux-Begles v Wasps
Referee: Ben Blain (Sco)
ARs: Finlay Brown (Sco) & Graeme Ormiston (Sco)
TMO: Andrew McMenemy (Sco)
Scotland – Super 6 – Round 2
Ayrshire Bulls v Boroughmuir Bears
Referee: Ian Kenny
ARs: Michael Todd & Alistair Watt
Stirling County v Southern Knights
Referee: Hollie Davidson
ARs: Jonny Perriam & David Changleng
Heriot’s Rugby v Watsonians Rugby
Referee: Keith Allen
ARs: Samuel O’Neil & Neil Muir
Tennent’s Premiership
Currie Chieftains v Musselburgh
Referee: David Young
ARs: Calum Lazenby & Willie Anderson
GHA v Selkirk
Referee: Fergus Hollins
ARs: Scott Cubitt & Murdo Wilson
Glasgow Hawks v Edinburgh Academical
Referee: George Pounder
ARs: Robbie Willison & John Hawryluk-Beaton
Hawick v Jed Forest
Referee: Samuel O’Neil
ARs: Sean Niven & Colin George
Marr v Aberdeen Grammar Rugby
Referee: Lee Fish
ARs: Graeme Connell & Kevin Mcghee
Tennent’s Women’s Premier League
Watsonians WRFC v Corstorphine Cougars WRFC
Referee: Matt Duncan
ARs: Iain Morrison & Walter Gaffney
Italian Cup – 3rd round
Rugby Lyons v IM Exchange Viadana
Referee: Federico Boraso (Rovigo)
ARs: Giorgio Sgardiolo (Rovigo) & Marco Panin (Rovigo)
Colorno v TuscaHBS Colorno v Toscana Aeroporti I Medicei
Referee: Dante D’Elia (Bari)
ARs: Lorenzo Imbriaco (Bologna) & Mirco Sergi (Bologna)
Mogliano Rugby 1969 v Lafert San Donà
Referee: Matteo Franco (Pordenone)
ARs: Riccardo Bonato (Padua) & Gianmarco Toneatto (Udine)
Greene King RFU Championship
London Scottish v Cornish Pirates
Referee: Matt Turvey
ARs: George Selwood & Roy Maybank
Ampthill v Jersey Reds
Referee: Jack Makepeace
ARs: John Meredith & Jack Sutton
Hartpury University v Yorkshire Carnegie
Referee: Luke Pearce
ARs: Richard Haughton & Gareth Holsgrove
Doncaster Knights v Ealing Trailfinders
Referee: Tim Wigglesworth
ARs: Simon Park & Peter Allan
Nottingham v Bedford Blues
Referee: Michael Hudson
ARs: Peter Brunt & Darryl Chapman
Newcastle Falcons v Coventry
Referee: Fergus Kirby
ARs: Gregg Dawson & Lionel Spooner
