It’s the last European weekend for a while before we get into the Six Nations window. There’s some important matches being played with reigning champions, Saracens facing a do-or-die match with Racing 92 on Sunday. Nigel Owens will be the referee to oversee matters in North London. Exeter will be looking to secure a home quarter-final tie if they overcome La Rochelle – Frank Murphy (pic centre) will be the man trying to keep both sides honest.
Mike Adamson (Sco) will referee Sunday’s Heineken Champions Cup between Toulouse and Gloucester Rugby after Andy Brace withdrew earlier in the week.
Outside of the European fixtures, there’s Super 6 and Premiership action in Scotland. In England, Wayne Barnes is keeping his eye in ahead of the Six Nations, refereeing in the RFU’s Championship as Bedford take on Hartpury College RFC. There’s also the Premiers15s women’s league in action too.
In the other hemisphere, the top officials are starting to get warmed up too after their off-season, with Jaco Peyper, AJ Jacobs and Rasta Rasivhenge (pic on right) in action across the South African cape as their super rugby sides get back into action. There’s also some Australian pre-season action too – welcome back Graham Cooper and Jordan Way!
Enjoy your rugby
Keith
European Champions Cup – Round 6
Lyon v Northampton Saints
Referee: Dan Jones (Wal)
ARs: Aled Evans (Wal) & Wayne Davies (Wal)
TMO: Sean Brickell (Wal)
Benetton Treviso v Leinster
Referee: Karl Dickson (Eng)
ARs: JP Doyle (Eng) & Anthony Woodthorpe (Eng)
TMO: Rowan Kitt (Eng)
Ulster v Bath
Referee: Alexandre Ruiz (Fra)
ARs: Cédric Marchat (Fra) & Luc Ramos (Fra)
TMO: Patrick Dellac (Fra)
Harlequins v Clermont Auvergne
Referee: George Clancy (Ire)
ARs: Kieran Barry (Ire) & Mark Patton (Ire)
TMO: Simon McDowell (Ire)
Exeter Chiefs v La Rochelle
Referee: Frank Murphy (Ire)
ARs: Rob O’Sullivan (Ire) & Eddie Hogan O’Connell (Ire)
TMO: Olly Hodges (Ire)
Sale Sharks v Glasgow Warriors
Referee: Pascal Gaüzère (Fra)
ARs: Maxime Chalon (Fra) & Julien Dufort (Fra)
TMO: Éric Gauzins (Fra)
Saracens v Racing 92
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wal)
ARs: Ben Whitehouse (Wal) & Wayne Davies (Wal)
TMO: Ian Davies (Wal)
Munster v Ospreys
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (Fra)
ARs: Pierre Brousset (Fra) & Sébastien Minery (Fra)
TMO: Philippe Bonhoure (Fra)
Montpellier v Connacht
Referee: Matthew Carley (Eng)
ARs: Tom Foley (Eng) & Hamish Smales (Eng)
TMO: David Grashoff (Eng)
Toulouse v Gloucester
Referee: Mike Adamson (Sco)
ARs: Sam Grove-White (Sco) & Dave Sutherland (Sco)
TMO: Neil Paterson (Sco)
European Challenge Cup
Dragons v Enisei-STM
Referee: Joy Neville (Ire)
ARs: Nigel Correll (Ire) & Richard Kerr (Ire)
TMO: Colin Stanley (Ire)
Worcester Warriors v Castres
Referee: Ben Blain (Sco)
ARs: Finlay Brown (Sco) & Bob Nevins (Sco)
Cardiff Blues v Calvisano
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Geo)
ARs: Shota Tevzadze (Geo) & Saba Abulashvili (Geo)
Pau v Leicester Tigers
Referee: Ben Whitehouse (Wal)
ARs: Rhys Jones (Wal) & Ben Breakspear (Wal)
TMO: Brian MacNeice (Ire)
Brive v Stade Français Paris
Referee: Christophe Ridley (Eng)
ARs: Greg Macdonald (Eng) & Simon Harding (Eng)
Zebre v Bristol Bears
Referee: Thomas Charabas (Fra)
ARs: Laurent Cardona (Fra) & Vivien Praderie (Fra)
Edinburgh v Agen
Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys (Eng)
ARs: Andrew Jackson (Eng) & Steve Lee (Eng)
Wasps v Bordeaux-Bègles
Referee: Marius Mitrea (Ita)
ARs: Matteo Liperini (Ita) & Riccardo Angelucci (Ita)
London Irish v Scarlets
Referee: Ludovic Cayre (Fra)
ARs: Tual Trainini (Fra) & Julien Castaignède (Fra)
TMO: Éric Briquet-Campin (Fra)
Toulon v Bayonne
Referee: Sean Gallagher (Ireland)
ARs: Jonny Erskine (Ireland) & John Carvill (Ireland)
TMO: Leo Colgan (Ireland)
Greene King Championship
Jersey Reds v Cornish Pirates
Referee: Adam Leal
ARs: Simon Adams Bill Burton
Doncaster Knights v Nottingham
Referee: Dean Richards
ARs: Jamie Leahy & Gregg Dawson
Ealing Trailfinders v Ampthill
Referee: Neil Chivers
ARs: Ian Bibey & Peter Brunt
Bedford Blues v Hartpury University
Referee: Wayne Barnes
ARs: George Selwood & Lionel Spooner
Coventry v London Scottish
Referee: Michael Hudson
ARs: Shane Lewis & Nick Marshall
Yorkshire Carnegie & Newcastle Falcons
Referee: Joe James
ARs: Tim Wigglesworth & Gregory Garner
Tyrrels Premier 15s
Harlequins Women v Darlington Mowden Park Sharks
Referee: Nikki O’Donnell
ARs: Andrew Green & Jack Lefeuvre
Worcester Warriors Women v Saracens Women
Referee: Adam Wookey
ARs: James Minards & Paul Hill
Richmond FC v Gloucester-Hartpury Women’s RFC
Referee: Sam Phillips
ARs: James Davies & Niamh Hennessy
Wasps FC Ladies v Bristol Bears Women
Referee: Aurelie Groizeleau (FFR)
ARs: Matthew Shepherd & Melanie Liley
Firwood Waterloo Ladies v Loughborough Lightning
Referee: Rebecca Rees
ARs: Jason Newell & tbc
Super 6s
Stirling County v Heriot’s Rugby
Ref: Ian Kenny
ARs: Samuel O’Neil & Brian Mcguff
Watsonians Rugby v Ayrshire Bulls
Ref: Graeme Ormiston
ARs: Ross Mabon & Alistair Watt
Southern Knights v Boroughmuir Bears
Ref: Finlay Brown
ARs: Neil Muir & Jonny Perriam
Tennent’s Premiership
Currie Chieftains v Glasgow Hawks
Ref: David Young
ARs: Gregor Mcintosh & Dean Lythgoe
GHA v Aberdeen Grammar Rugby
Ref: Michael Todd
ARs: Gordon Galashan & Willie Anderson
Hawick v Edinburgh Academical
Ref: Tom French
ARs: Stuart Wright & Colin George
Musselburgh v Jed Forest
Ref: John Shaw
ARs: David Changleng & Allan Parry
Selkirk v Marr
Referee: Neil Muir
ARs: Graeme Connell & Duncan Pine
Australian pre-season
NSW Waratahs v Highlanders
Referee: Graham Cooper
ARs: Amy Perrett & James Quinn
Queensland Reds v Melbourne Rebels
Referee; Jordan Way
ARs: Aaron Pook & Brett Cronan
South Africa – pre-season friendlies
Blue Bulls v Golden Lions
Referee: Jaco Peyper
Sharks v Russia
Referee: Divan Uys
Southern Kings v Stormers
Referee: Stuart Berry
Stormers v Sharks
Referee: AJ Jacobs
ARs: Cwengile Jadezweni & Griffon Colby
TMO: Willie Vos
Golden Lions v Blue Bulls
Referee: Rasta Rasivhenge
ARs: Divan Uys & Aimee Barrett-Theron
TMO: Willie Vos