Obviously the main focus for referee appointments will be in Japan, but around the world, there’s plenty of end of season, or start of season action. At the business end of the season, we see the semi finals of all the Australian and New Zealand competitions. James Doleman (pic on right) will referee the Tasman v Auckland match in the Mitre 10 Cup. In England, the Premiership starts starts this weekend, following the Championship’s start last weekend. In the Gallagher Premiership, Tom Foley starts the season off, refereeing the Bristol v Bath match on Friday night. It’s good to see Sara Cox (pic left)also continuing her XVs career – she’ll be overseeing Ealing v Jersey – both of whom would put themselves in a strong position in this year’s league. Elsewhere, the Scottish Tennent’s Premiership is back, the Pro14 is having a break, but the Top14 is back, with Toulon hosting Bayonne, with new Top14 referee, Pierre-Baptiste Nuchy (pic middle) getting a run out.
A feast of rugby this weekend – enjoy whatever it is you’re watching!
Keith
Rugby World Cup 2019- Quarter-finals
England v Australia
Referee: Jerome Garces (Fra)
ARs: Romain Poite (Fra) & Mathieu Raynal (Fra)
TMO: Ben Skeen (NZ)
New Zealand v Ireland
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wal)
ARs: Pascal Gauzere (Fra) & Angus Gardner (Aus)
TMO: Graham Hughes (Eng)
Wales v France
Referee: Jaco Peyper (SA)
ARs: Nic Berry (Aus) & Paul Williams (NZ)
TMO: Marius Jonker (SA)
Japan v South Africa
Referee: Wayne Barnes (Eng)
ARs: Ben O’Keefe (NZ) & Luke Pearce (Eng)
TMO: Rowan Kitt (Eng)
Gallagher Premiership – Round 1
Bristol Bears v Bath Rugby
Referee: Tom Foley (67th Premiership match)
ARs: Jack Makepeace & Simon McConnell
TMO: Stuart Terheege
Citing Commissioner: Nick Wood
Exeter Chiefs v Harlequins
Referee: Christophe Ridley (15th Premiership match)
ARs: Simon Harding & Paul Dix
TMO: Geoff Warren
Citing Commissioner: David Guyan
Sale Sharks v Gloucester Rugby
Referee: Andrew Jackson (21st Premiership match)
ARs: JP Doyle & Robert Warburton
TMO: Sean Davey
Citing Commissioner: Chris Sharp
Saracens v Northampton Saints
Referee: Ian Tempest (60th Premiership match)
ARs: Hamish Smales & Wayne Falla
TMO: Trevor Fisher
Citing Commissioner: John Byett
Worcester Warriors v Leicester Tigers
Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys (64th Premiership match)
ARs: Adam Leal & Phil Watters
TMO: David Grashoff
Citing Commissioner: Chris Catling
Wasps v London Irish
Referee: JP Doyle (171st Premiership match)
ARs: Anthony Woodthorpe & Paul Dix
TMO: Keith Lewis
Citing Commissioner: Buster White
Greene King Championship – Round 2
Nottingham v London Scottish
Referee: Greg Macdonald
ARs: Peter Brunt & Ian Bibey
Newcastle Falcons v Hartpury University
Referee: Anthony Woodthorpe
ARs: John Meredith & Darryl Chapman
Ealing Trailfinders v Jersey Reds
Referee: Sara Cox
ARs: Richard Haughton & Gareth Holsgrove
Doncaster Knights v Cornish Pirates
Referee: Fergus Kirby
ARs: Tim Wigglesworth & Simon Park
Coventry v Bedford Blues
Referee: Neil Chivers
ARs: Simon Adams & Bill Burton
Ampthill v Yorkshire Carnegie
Referee: Michael Hudson
ARs: Jamie Leahy & Nigel Carrick
Tyrells’s Premier 15s
Wasps FC Ladies v Loughborough Lightning
Referee: Joe James
ARs: David Herdman & Phil Hallsworth
Gloucester-Hartpury Women’s RFC v Worcester Warriors Women
Referee: Neil Sweeney
ARs: Ben Wood & Paul Carroll
Firwood Waterloo Ladies v Saracens Women
Referee: George Richardson
ARs: Kieron Henry & Carl Walsh
Harlequins Women v Bristol Bears Women
Referee: Sam Phillips
ARs: Ivan Kennedy & Tim Bailey
Richmond FC v Darlington Mowden Park Sharks
Referee: Max Weston
ARs: tbc & Fred Spong
Tennent’s Premiership
Currie Chieftains v Aberdeen Grammar Rugby
Referee: Graeme Ormiston
ARs Fergus Hollins & Digby Thomas
GHA v Jed Forest
Referee: David Sutherland
ARs: John Shaw & Colin George
Hawick v Glasgow Hawks
Referee: Ross Mabon
ARs: George Pounder & Dean Lythgoe
Marr v Edinburgh Academical
Referee: Finlay Brown
ARs: Gordon Galashan & Brian McGuff
Selkirk v Musselburgh
Referee: Ruairidh Campbell
ARs: Gordi Reid & Allan Parry
Australia: National Rugby Championship semi-finals
Western Force v Brisbane City
Referee: Damon Murphy
ARs: Aaron Pook & Kyle Burnett
TMO: Jordan Kaminski
Canberra Vikings v Fiji Druas
Referee: Graham Cooper
ARs: James Quinn & Reuben Keane
TMO: James Hagan
Mitre 10 Cup
Premiership semi-finals
Tasman v Auckland – Referee: James Doleman
Wellington v Canterbury – Referee: Glen Jackson
Championship semi-finals
Bay of Plenty v Manawatu – Referee: Richard Kelly
Hawke’s Bay v Otago – Referee: Angus Mabey
Heartland Championship
Meads Cup semi-finals
Thames Valley v Wanganui – Referee: Dan Waenga
North Otago v Wairarapa Bush – Referee: Tipene Cottrell
Lochore Cup semi-finals
West Coast v Poverty Bay – Referee: Hugh Reed
Buller v South Canterbury – Referee: Nick Webster
Farah Palmer Cup
Premiership semi-finals
Auckland Storm v Wellington Pride – Referee: Rebecca Mahoney
Canterbury v Counties Manukau Heat – Referee: Brittany Andrew
Championship semi-finals
Otago Spirit v Tasman Mako – Referee: Maggie Cogger-Orr
Hawke’s Bay Tui v Northland Kauri – Referee: Lauren Jenner
France – Top 14
Montpellier v Toulouse
Referee: Tual Trainini
ARs: Thomas Charabas & Richard Duhau
TMO: Cyril Lafon
Pau v Castres
Referee: Maxime Chalon
ARs: Jonathan Dufort & Christophe Bats
TMO: Patrick Dellac
Agen v Stade Français
TBC
Toulon v Bayonne
Referee: Pierre-Baptiste Nuchy
ARs: Ludovic Caryre & P Pechambert
TMO: Eric Gauzins
Brive v Bordeaux-Bègles
Referee: Pierre Brousset
ARs: Laurent Millotte & Bruno Gabaldon
TMO: Denis Grenouillet
La Rochelle v Racing 92
Referee: Adrien Descottes
ARs: Cédric Marchat & Jean-Claude Labarbe
TMO: Bruno Bessot
Clermont v Lyon
Referee: Sébastien Minery
ARs: Vivien Praderie & Frédéric Chazal
TMO: Ludovic Sclafer
