Weekend appointments – European finals, Bledisloe, SA France, England & NZ

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