Appointments: 17-21 August – RWC warm-ups plus NZ, SA, Ireland & France domestic rugby

Another round of Rugby World Cup Warm ups for the referees to get their teeth into. Paul Williams (pic top left) is in Dublin for what will be a tasty affair no doubt, after an interesting week on the disciplinary front. In Cardiff, it will be great to see Siya Kolisi back on the field – Andrew Brace will see that one up close! After a few weeks in S America, Luke Pearce (top right) is back closer to home. He’s in eastern Italy, as they host Romania.

In New Zealand, Maggie Cogger-Orr controls her second Heartland Champs game, and at the other end of the experience-tree, Ben O’Keeffe and Nick Briant control their 200th first class appointments respectively in the NPC. In the Farah Palmer Cup prem, Tiana Anderson (bottom right) is on the whistle for the Auckland v Waikato match up.

The SA Women’s premier division is in semi-final stage. Angie Bezuidenhout (pic bottom left) will referee one of them (WP v Border Ladies) with Bulela Qwane on the other match (Bulls v Boland Dames)
And finally, we have domestic action starting again in France with Top 14 and ProD2 matches kicking off their new season. They have a block of matches before a World Cup break, so it is earlier than normal. In Ireland, it’s weekend two of the women’s interprovincial matches and in Scotland, the Super Series continues into week

Enjoy your weekend
Keith

Rugby World Cup warm up matches

Uruguay v Argentina XV
Referee: Frank Murphy (IRFU)
ARs: Damian Schneider (UAR) & Caua Ricardo (CBRU)

Wales v South Africa
Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU)
ARs: Chris Busby (IRFU) & Eoghan Cross (IRFU)
TMO: Joy Neville (IRFU)

France v Fiji (in Nantes)
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (GRU)
ARs: Andrea Piardi (FIR) & Federico Vedovelli (FIR)
TMO: Ian Tempest (RFU)

Italy v Romania (in San Benedetto del Tronto)
Referee: Luke Pearce (RFU)
ARs: Adam Leal (RFU) & Anthony Woodthorpe (RFU)
TMO: Ben Blain (SRU)

Ireland v England
Referee: Paul Williams (NZR)
ARs: Craig Evans (WRU) & Adam Jones (WRU)
TMO: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)

Georgia v USA
Referee: Jaco Peyper (SARU)
ARs: Sam Grove-White (SRU) & Luc Ramos (FFR)
TMO: Thomas Charabas (FFR)

New Zealand: National Provincial Championship

Counties Manukau v Bay of Plenty
Referee: Marcus Playle
ARs: Brandon Roberts & Robert Shore
TMO: John Wright

North Harbour v Auckland
Referee: Cam Stone
ARs: Scott McKenzie & Dean Harris
TMO: Jonathan Paterson

Wellington v Southland
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe
ARs: Dan Mangin & Ben van Berkel
TMO: Jared Clarke

Canterbury v Manawatu
Referee: Fraser Hannon
ARs: George Haswell & Karl Hancox
TMO: Gareth Reed

Northland v Tasman
Referee: Brendon Pickerill
ARs: Nathan Chestnut & Stephen Ball
TMO: Llew Smart

Hawke’s Bay v Otago
Referee: Nick Briant
ARs: Nick Hogan & Sheldon Eden-Whaitiri
TMO: Mark Johnson

Waikato v Taranaki
Referee: Dan Waenga
ARs: Ben Woolerton & Grant Stuart
TMO: Damian Botherway

Wellington v Tasman
Referee: James Doleman
ARs: Tomas Roche & Dan Mangin
TMO: Jared Clarke

New Zealand: Heartland Championship – rd 2

East Coast v Mid Canterbury
Referee: Tipene Cottrell
ARs: Matt Richards & Melvin Ashford

Thames Valley v Poverty Bay
Referee: Maggie Cogger-Orr
ARs: Josh Bull & Aaron Millar

Buller v Whanganui
Referee: Ben Alexander
ARs: Gary Reilly & Gareth Allen

Horowhenua Kapiti v West Coast
Referee: Stu Catley
ARs: TBC

King Country v South Canterbury
Referee: Ben Woolerton
ARs: Jamie Bell & Chris Cowie

North Otago v Wairarapa Bush
Referee: Dan Moore
ARs: Craig Kingan & John Keenan

NZ: Farah Palmer Cup – Premiership

Canterbury v Counties Manukau
Referee: Natarsha Ganley
ARs: Josh Bamber & TBC

Bay of Plenty v Hawke’s Bay
Referee: Todd Petrie
ARs: TBC

Auckland v Waikato
Referee: Tiana Anderson
ARs: TBC

Farah Palmer Cup – Championship

North Harbour v Taranaki
Referee: Ben Brownlie
ARs: Ryan Borthwick & Josh Ellis

Tasman v Northland
Referee: Erin Doherty
ARs: Brad Evans & Dominic Calder

Otago v Manawatu
Referee: Tanieka Uerata
ARs: Brandon Hale & Jackson Brierly

South Africa: Women’s Premier Division – Semi finals

Bulls Daisies v Boland Dames
Referee: Bulela Qwane
ARs: Aneka Fick & Yohane Halgryn
TMO: Christopher Allison

DHL Western Province v Border Ladies
Referee: Angie Bezuidenhout
ARs: Zoe Naude & Siyanda Pikoli
TMO: Aimee Barrett-Theron

France: Top 14 – round 1

Bayonne v Toulouse
Referee: Benoit Rousselet
ARs: Benjamin Hernandez & Frederic Chazal
TMO: Patrick Dellac

Racing 92 v Bordeaux-Begles
Referee: Vincent Blasco-Baque
ARs: Stephane Coulon & Stephane Boyer
TMO: Patrick Pechambert

Perpignan v Stade Francais Paris
Referee: Ludovic Cayre
ARs: Mathieu Noirot & Stepgane Crapoix
TMO: Eric Briquet-Campin

Oyonnax v Clermont
Referee: Jonathan Gasnier
ARs: Evan Urruzmendi & Thierry Mallet
TMO: Mourad Zitouni

Castres v Section Paloise
Referee: Tual Trainini
ARs: Cyrille Boulay & Christophe Bultet
TMO: Eric Gauzins

Lyon v Toulon
Referee: Adrien Marbot
ARs: Herve Lasausa & Nicola Bridoux
TMO: Akim Hadj Bachir

Montpellier v Stade Rochelais
Referee: Vivien Praderie
ARs: Flavien Hourquet & Benoir Albert Bonnafous
TMO: Denis Grenouillet

France: ProD2 – round 1

Biarritz v Colomiers
Referee: Thomas Chereque
ARs: Jean Lespes & Christian Coussan
TMO: Jean Luc Rebollal

Agen v Brive
Referee: Herve Lasausa
ARs: David Beun & Sylvain Jaymes
TMO: Cedric Marchat

Beziers v SA XV Angouleme
Referee: Cyrille Boulay
ARs: Anthony Lac & Mourad Gharbi Tarachouna
TMO: Mourad Zitouni

FC Grenoble v Mont-de-Marsan
Referee: Evan Urruzmendi
ARs: Stephane Coulon & Christophe Gaillardon
TMO: Philippe Bonhoure

RC Vannes v Nevers
Referee: Flavien Hourquet
ARs: Pierre Bru & Walter Prache
TMO: Burni Bessot

Aurillac v Rouen
Referee: Aurlie Groizeleau
ARs: Remy Charleroy & Denis Daste
TMO: Patrick Pechambert

US Dax v Provence
Referee: Kevin Bralley
ARs: Matheiu Noirot & Sylvain Desvaux
TMO: Denis Grenouillet

Montauban v Valance Romans
Referee: Ludovic Carrillo
ARs: Benjamin Beuriot & Fabrice Hand
TMO: Julien Castaignede

Ireland: Women’s Interprovincial series

Leinster v Ulster
Referee: Andrew Fogarty
ARs: Katie Byrne & John Flynn

Munster v Connacht
Referee: Christopher Lough
ARs: Barrie O’Connell & Stuart Donaldson

Scotland: Fosroc Super Series – round 4

Ayrshire Bulls v Heriot’s Rugby
Referee: Jonny Perriam
ARs: Samuel O’Neil & Ciaran Stark

Boroughmuir Bears v Southern Knights
Referee: Ruairidh Campbell
ARs: Jonny Perriam & Samuel O’Neil

Stirling Wolves v Scotland Future XV
Referee: David Sutherland
ARs: Michael Todd & Bob Nevins

International Defence Rugby Championship (in Brittany)

Georgia v Spain

Referee: Iain Kiy