Good luck to the pair of final referees this weekend – Nigel Owens and Andrew Brace. The vastly-experienced Owens will be taking charge of his 115th tournament match, his seventh Heineken Champions Cup final, and his ninth European club decider in all!. He will referee the Exeter Chiefs v Racing 92 match in Bristol. In Aix-en-Provence, the Challenge Cup final meeting of Bristol Bears and RC Toulon will see Brace refereeing his first European final after taking charge of last month’s Guinness PRO14 decider.
Down under, Angus Gardner will oversee his first Bledisloe Cup as New Zealand play Australia at Eden Park. Kiwi Paul Williams oversaw a 16-16 draw last weekend. Also down under, it’s the final weekend of the Farah Palmer Cup and plat off places at stake in the Mitre 10.
Enjoy the weekend!
Keith
Bledisloe Cup
New Zealand v Australia
Referee: Angus Gardner (Aus)
ARs: Ben O’Keeffe (NZ) & Paul Williams (NZ)
TMO: Mike Fraser (NZ)
Heineken Champions Cup final
Exeter Chiefs v Racing 92
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wal)
ARs: Mike Adamson (Sco) & Craig Evans (Wal)
TMO: Ian Davies (Wal)
European Challenge Cup final
Bristol Bears v RC Toulon
Referee: Andrew Brace (Ire)
ARs: Frank Murphy (Ire) & George Clancy (Ire)
TMO: Brian McNeice (Ire)
Top 14 – Round 5
Montpellier v SU Agen
Referee: Laurent Cardona
ARs: A.Descottes & M.Gharbi tarchouna
TMO: C.Lafon
Pau v Bordeaux-Bègles
Referee: Vincent Blasco Baque (pictured bottom right of pic)
ARs: J.Dufort & A.Blondel
TMO: L.Sclafer
La Rochelle v Castres Olympique
Referee: Mathieu Raynal
ARs: C.Marchat & R.Duhau
TMO: J.Rebollal
CA Brive v Stade Toulouse
Referee: Sebastien Minery
ARs: T.Charabas & J.Labarbe
TMO: E.BRIQUET CAMPIN
LOU v Bayonne
Referee: Tual Trainini
ARs: P.Brousset & C.Coussan
TMO: A.Hadj bachir
ASM Clermont v Stade Français
Referee: Romain Poite
ARs: L.Cayre & S.Jaymes
TMO: P.Pechambert
Super Rugby Unlocked
Toyota Cheetahs v Vodacom Bulls
Referee: Cwengile Jadezweni
ARs: Griffin Colby & Ben Crouse
TMO: AJ Jacobs
Tafel Lager Griquas v Phakisa Pumas
Referee: AJ Jacobs
ARs: Griffin Colby & Ben Crouse
TMO: Cwengile Jadezweni
DHL Stormers v Emirates Lions
Referee: Rasta Rasivhenge
ARs: Egon Seconds & Aimee Barrett-Theron
TMO: Joey Klaaste-Salmans
Allianz Premier 15s
Exeter Chiefs Women v Bristol Bears Women
Referee: Charles Gayther
ARs: Adam Wookey & Clare Daniels
Wasps FC Ladies Harlequins Women
Referee: Sara Cox
ARs: Hamish Grant & James Pidding
Loughborough Lightning v Gloucester-Hartpury Women’s RFC
Referee: Nikki O’Donnell
ARs: James Clarke & Katherine Ritchie
Sale Sharks Women v Saracens Women
Referees: Daniel Rowlands
ARs: Elliott Lewis & Nia Parsonage
DMP Durham Sharks v Worcester Warriors Women
Referee: Owen Taylor
ARs: David Charlton & Rebecca Rees
Mitre 10 Cup
Hawke’s Bay v Northland (Ranfurly Shield)
Referee: Brendon Pickerill
ARs: Dan Waenga & Nick Hogan
Manawatu v Bay of Plenty
Referee: Jono Bredin
ARs: TBC
Wellington v North Harbour
Referee: James Doleman
ARs: Jamie Farmaid & Daniel Mangin
Auckland v Tasman
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe
ARs: Marcus Playle & Tim Olliff
Southland v Taranaki
Referee: James Munro
ARs: TBC
Canterbury v Waikato
Referee: Richard Kelly
ARs: George Haswell & Gareth Reed
Otago v Counties Manukau
Referee: Angus Mabey
ARs: Caleb Neilson & Fraser Hannon
Farah Palmer Cup – week 7
Hawke’s Bay Tui v Manawatu Cyclones
Referee: Lauren Jenner
ARs: Sheldon Eden-Whaitiri & Stu Catley
Canterbury v Tasman Mako (JJ Stewart Trophy)
Referee: Maggie Cogger-Orr
ARs: John Whitcombe & Dayna Morrison
Bay of Plenty Volcanix v Northland Kauri
Referee: Brittany Andrew
ARs: Neco Blank & Estelle Whaiapu
Taranaki Whio v Counties Manukau Heat
Referee: Tiana Ngawati (pictured bottom left)
ARs: Trent Mischefski & Josh Prestidge
Wellington Pride v Otago Spirit
Referee: Larissa Collingwood
ARs: TBC
Auckland Storm v Waikato
Referee: Becs Mahoney
ARs: Maggie Cogger-Orr & Antony Petrie
Congratulations Nigel Have your usual great game.