In the week before the Guinness Six Nations, experienced referees are on display around the north. In the English Premiership, there’s a collective 654 matches of top level refereeing experience on display. Wayne Barnes and JP Doyle are way out ahead with 220 and 176 matches respectively. Karl Dickson is the ‘least’ experienced (from a refereeing perspective at least) with 23 to date. Similarly, the big names are out in action in France ahead of their 6N appointments – Gauzere, Poite and Raynal all refereeing in the Top14.
Elsewhere, the bulk of the Pro14 are on a break (Stu Berry aside in the SA Derby) so it’s World Rugby 7s in Hamilton, English Championship and Scottish men’s Super 6, league and Cup and women’s cup fixtures for you below.
Enjoy!
Keith
World Rugby 7s – Hamilton
Women’s competition: Hollie Davidson (Scotland), Emily Hsieh (USA), Adam Jones (Wales), Tyler Miller (Australia), Amy Perrett (Australia), Tevita Rokoverneni (Fiji).
Men’s competition: James Doleman (New Zealand), Paulo Duarte (Portugal), Craig Evans (Wales), Francisco Gonzalez (Uruguay), Richard Kelly (New Zealand), Damon Murphy (Australia), Jérémy Rozier (France), Damian Schneider (Argentina), Jordan Way (Australia)
Gallagher Premiership – Round 9
Northampton Saints v London Irish
Referee: Tom Foley (73rd Premiership game)
ARs: Anthony Woodthorpe & Andrew Jackson
TMO: Rowan Kitt
Citing Officer: Andy Blyth
Bath Rugby v Leicester Tigers
Referee: Wayne Barnes (221st Premiership game)
ARs: Christophe Ridley & Paul Dix
TMO: David Grashoff
Citing Officer: David Guyan
Bristol Bears v Gloucester Rugby
Referee: Karl Dickson (24th Premiership game)
ARs: Hamish Smales & Simon McConnell
TMO: Sean Davey
Citing Officer: Budge Pountney
Exeter Chiefs v Sale Sharks
Referee: JP Doyle (177th Premiership game)
ARs: Mike Hudson & Rob Warburton
TMO: Geoff Warren
Citing Officer: Paul Hull
Worcester Warriors v Wasps
Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys (70th Premiership game)
ARs: Adam Leal & Neil Chivers
TMO: Claire Hodnett
Citing Officer: Danae Zamboulis
Harlequins v Saracens
Referee: Luke Pearce (95th Premiership game)
ARs: Matthew Carley & Roy Maybank
TMO: Graham Hughes
Citing Officer: Buster White
Greene King Championship
Jersey Reds v Yorkshire Carnegie
Referee: Simon Harding
ARs: Peter Brunt & Ryan Collier
London Scottish v Ealing Trailfinders
Referee: Fergus Kirby
ARs: Dean Richards & Michael Woods
Nottingham v Newcastle Falcons
Referee: Tim Wigglesworth
ARs: Greg Garner & Phil Watters
Hartpury University v Coventry
Referee: Sara Cox
ARs: Shane Lewis & Ian Bibey
TMO: Matthew Carley
Ampthill v Doncaster Knights
Referee: Greg Macdonald
ARs: Jamie Leahy & Richard Waller
Cornish Pirates v Bedford Blues
Referee: Christophe Ridley
ARs: Nick Marshall & Lionel Spooner
Super 6
Heriot’s Rugby v Boroughmuir Bears
Referee: Keith Allen
ARs: Ian Kenny & Alistair Watt
Stirling County v Watsonians Rugby
Referee: David Sutherland
ARs: Mike Adamson & Bob Nevins
Ayrshire Bulls v Southern Knights
Referee: Sam Grove-White
ARs: Graeme Ormiston & David Changleng
Tennent’s Premiership
Glasgow Hawks v GHA
Referee: Finlay Brown
ARs: George Pounder & Brian McGuff
Scottish Cup
Currie Chieftains v Hawick
Referee: Graeme Ormiston
ARs: Michael Milner & Digby Thomas
Edinburgh Academical v Jed Forest
Referee: Samuel O’Neil
ARs: Calum Lazenby & Willie Anderson
Gala v Heriot’s Blues
Referee: Ross Mabon
ARs: John Shaw & Dean Lythgoe
Highland v Marr
Referee: Jonny Perriam
ARs: Grant Stephen & Robbie Willison
Sarah Beaney Cup
Heriot’s Blues Women v Corstorphine Cougars WRFC
Referee: Sean Niven
Stewartry WRFC v Hillhead Jordanhill WRFC
Referee: Darroch Ramsay
Watsonians WRFC v Garioch WRFC
Referee: Johnathan Cockayne
Pro 14 – Round 8
Isuzu Southern Kings v Toyota Cheetahs
Referee: Stuart Berry (SARU, 28th Championship Appearance)
ARs: Divan Uys (SARU) & Quinton Immelman (SARU)
TMO: Johann Greeffe (SARU)
Top 14 – Round 14
Lyon v Toulon
Referee: Pierre-Baptiste Nuchy
ARs: Cédric Marchat & Jean-Claude Labarbe
TMO: Jean-Luc Rebollal
Brive v Pau
Referee: Pascal Gaüzère
ARs: Richard Duhau & M. Tbc
TMO: Eric Gauzins
Castres Olympique vs Racing 92
Referee: Mathieu Raynal
ARs: Sébastien Minery & Arnaud Blondel
TMO: Laurent Sclafer
La Rochelle v Montpellier
Referee: Thomas Charabas
ARs: Tual Trainini & Mourad Gharbi Tarchouna
TMO: Bruno Bessot
Clermont v Stade Français
Referee: Maxime Chalon
ARs: Adrien Descottes & Thierry Devais
TMO: Pascal Dellac
Bayonne v Agen
Referee: Romain Poite
ARs: Julien Castaignède & Laurent Breil
TMO: Éric Gonthier
Toulouse v Bordeaux-Bègles
Referee: Ludovic Cayre
ARs: Laurent Cardona & Frédéric Chazal
TMO: Akim Hadj Bachir