The big referee gathering of the weekend is in Dubai as the new version of World Svns Series kicks off. Many readers will be out there to officiate in the massive festival of rugby and other sports which sits alongside the main men’s and women’s events. With the Paris Olympics on the horizon, the referee teams will also be looking to secure their own places. Ano Kuwai (bottom left) from Japan will be refereeing in the women’s event alongside a host of familiar faces from around the refereeing world.
As the domestic game across Europe starts to look at the Champions and Challenge Cups which start next weekend, there’s a couple of referee teams on exchange this week. Luc Ramos (top left) from France will oversee the Premiership’s Quins v Sale match with Anthony Woodthorpe heading the other way to referee Oyonnax v Bordeaux-Begles in the Top14. We have the rest of those leagues’ appointments, plus the PWR and Champ in England and the URC as well. There’s Welsh Premiership action as well as men’s and women’s Prem in Hong Kong China. Jason Bessant (top right) looks after the bottom team, Neath who host Newport [Edit – not any more! Fixture change as Adam Jones now refs] and on Hong Kong Island, there’s a visit from Singapore for Christabelle Lim who refs the in the women’s premiership. Finally, there’s teams of 3 for the Rugby Europe Super Cup, Premierships in Scotland and the All Ireland league in Ireland.
Enjoy your weekend’s rugby
Keith
SVNS Series – Round 1 – Dubai
Men’s: Ben Breakspear (WRU), Paulo Duarte (FPR), Morne Fereirra (SARU), Francisco Gonzalez (URU)
Nick Hogan (NZRU), AJ Jacobs (SARU), Reuben Keane (ARU), Adam Leal (RFU), Tevita Rokovereni (Fiji), Jeremy Rozier (FFR), Jordan Way (ARU)
Women’s: Finlay Brown (SRU), Craig Chan (HKRU), Talal Chaudhry (RC), Maggie Cogger-Orr (NZRU), Ano Kuwai (JFRU), Maria Latos (GER), Jess Ling (RA), Cisco Lopez (USA), Tyler Miller (RA), Kat Roche (USA), George Selwood (RFU)
Wales: Indigo Premiership – round 12
Aberavon RFC V Ebbw Vale RFC
Referee: Tom Spurrier
ARs: Elliot Mayor & Dai Cambourne
Carmarthen RFC V Cardiff RFC
Referee: Rhys Jones
ARs: Carwyn Williams & Greg Morgan
Merthyr RFC V Pontypridd RFC
Referee: Tom Spurrier
ARs: Karim Cosslett & Owen Wrangham
Newport RFC V Neath RFC
Referee: Jason Bessant Adam Jones
ARs: Aaron Parry & Simon Davies
RGC V Pontypool RFC (postponed)Referee: Adam Jones
ARs: Jenny Davies & Stuart Kibble
Swansea RFC V Llandovery RFC
Referee: Craig Evans
ARs: Simon Mills & Spencer Clease
England: Gallagher Premiership – round 8
Harlequins v Sale Sharks
Referee: Luc Ramos (Fra)
ARs: Luke Pearce & Gareth Holsgrove
TMO: Patric Dellac (Fra)
Bath Rugby v Exeter Chiefs
Referee: Tom Foley
ARs: John Meredith & Jonathan Healy
TMO: Dean Richards
Bristol Bears v Gloucester Rugby
Referee: Jack Makepeace
ARs: Harry Walbaum & Paul Dix
TMO: David Rose
Saracens v Northampton Saints
Referee: Christophe Ridley
ARs: Andrew Jackson & Greg Macdonald
TMO: Rowan Kitt
Leicester Tigers v Newcastle Falcons
Referee: Sara Cox
ARs: Craig Maxwell-Keys & Hamish Smales
TMO: Andrew Jackson
England: RFU Championship
Nottingham v Cambridge
Referee: Hamish Smales
ARs: Neil Chivers & Calum Howard
Caldy v Bedford Blues
Referee: Dan Jones
ARs: Jamie Leahy & Ian Bibey
Coventry v Hartpury University
Referee: Jonathan Cook
ARs: Ryan Collier & James Pidding
London Scottish v Ealing Trailfinders
Referee: Luke Pearce
ARs: Andy Wigley & James Cornell
Cornish Pirates v Doncaster Knights
Referee: Joe James
ARs: Veryan Boscawen & Mike Woods
England: Premiership Women’s Rugby – Round 3
Bristol Bears Women v Gloucester-Hartpury Women’s RFC
Referee: Alex Thomas
ARs: Simon Adams & Kevin Williams
Sale Sharks Women v Exeter Chiefs Women
Referee: Neil Chivers
ARs: Andrew Ashwell & Nia Parsonage
Harlequins Women v Saracens Women
Referee: Mike Hudson
ARs: Lionel Spooner & Gareth Holsgrove
Leicester Tigers Women v Loughborough Lightning
Referee: Andy Wigley
ARs: Iain Kiy & Gregg Dawson
France: Top 14 – round 9
Oyonnax Rugby v Union Bordeaux-Begles
Referee: Anthony Woodthorpe (Eng)
ARs: David Beun & Laurent Millotte
TMO: Ian Tempest (Eng)
RC Toulon v Section Paloise
Referee: Vivien Praderie
ARs: Stephane Boyer & Kevin Bralley
TMO: Eric Gauzins
Aviron Bayonnais v Montpellier Hérault Rugby
Referee: Mathieu Raynal
ARs: Benoit Albert Bonnafous & Jonathan Gasnier
TMO: Philippe Bonhoure
Castres Olympique v LOU Rugby
Referee: Pierre Brousset
ARs: Nicolas Bridoux & Herve Lasausa
TMO: Akim Hadj Bachir
Stade Rochelais v USA Perpignan
Referee: Benoit Rousselet
ARs: Adrien Marbot & Frederic Masse
TMO: Patrick Pechambert
ASM Clermont v Racing 92
Referee: Pierre Baptiste Nuchy
ARs: Thomas Charabas & Sylvain Desvaux
TMO: Julien Castaignede
Stade Français Paris v Stade Toulousain
Referee: Tual Trainini
ARs: Ludovic Cayre & Stephane Crapoix
TMO: Cyril Lafon
ProD2 – round 12
FC Grenoble Rugby v RC Vannes
Referee: Evan Urruzmendi
ARs: Christophe Bultet & Herve Lasausa
TMO: Jonathan Dufort
SU Agen v Colomiers Rugby
Referee: Thomas Chereque
ARs: Benjamin Beuriot & Richard Duhau
TMO: Cedric Marchat
AS Béziers Hérault v US Montalbanaise
Referee: Anthony Lac
ARs: Christophe Gaillardon & Regis Guatelli
TMO: Laurent Sclafer
Provence Rugby v Rouen Normandie Rugby
Referee: Aurelie Groizeleau
ARs: Pierre Bru & Frederic Chazal
TMO: Eric Briquet Campin
Stade Aurillacois v Biarritz Olympique PB
Referee: Ludovic Carrillo
ARs: Francois Bouzac & Sylvain Brayelle
TMO: Mourad Zitouni
US Dax v USON Nevers
Referee: Jean Lespes
ARs: Sylvain Jaymes & Yannick Vals
TMO: Jean Luc Rebollal
Valence Romans v Soyaux-Angoulême XV
Referee: Cyrille Boulay
ARs: Remy Charleroy & Walter Prache
TMO: Julien Castaignede
CA Brive v Stade Montois Rugby
Referee: Benjamin Hernandez
ARs: David Beun & Thierry Mallet
TMO: Denis Grenouillet.
BKT United Rugby Championship – Round 7
Munster v Glasgow Warriors
Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen (SARU,18th league game)
ARs: Dan Carson (IRFU) & Sam Holt (IRFU)
TMO: Aimee Barrett Theron (SARU)
Vodacom Bulls v Hollywoodbets Sharks
Referee: Cwengile (JD) Jadezweni (SARU, 6th league game)
ARs: Dylen November (SARU) & Phumzile Mbewu (SARU)
TMO: Quinton Immelman (SARU)
Cardiff Rugby v Scarlets
Referee: Ben Whitehouse (WRU, 95th league game)
ARs: Rhys Jones (WRU) & Gwyn Morris (WRU)
TMO: Wayne Davies (WRU)
Emirates Lions v Dragons RFC
Referee: Andrea Piardi (FIR, 39th league game)
ARs: Stephan Geldenhuys (SARU) & Hanru van Rooyen (SARU)
TMO: Gianluca Gnecchi (FIR)
DHL Stormers v Zebre Parma
Referee: Eoghan Cross (IRFU, 11th league game)
ARs: Christopher Allison (SARU) & Paul Mente (SARU)
TMO: Frank Murphy (IRFU)
Ulster v Edinburgh Rugby
Referee: Federico Vedovelli (FIR, 4th league game)
ARs: Paul Haycock (IRFU) & Padraic Reidy (IRFU)
TMO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)
Connacht v Leinster
Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU, 90th league game)
ARs: Peter Martin (IRFU) & Keane Davison (IRFU)
TMO: Olly Hodges (IRFU)
Benetton v Ospreys
Referee: Chris Busby (IRFU, 36th league game)
ARs: Filippo Russo (FIR) & Giona Righeti (FIR)
TMO: Joy Neville (IRFU)
Hong Kong China: Nan Fung Group/SEWIT Men’s Premiership
DAC Kowloon v Kroll USRC Tigers
Referee: Francesco Cammisa (11th Prem Appointment)
ARs: Marcus Playle & Sam Chan
Societe Generale Valley v Natixis HKFC Club
Referee: Morgan White (20th Prem Appointment)
ARs: Francesco Cammisa & Christabelle Lim
KPMG HK Scottish v IMPACT HKU Sandy Bay
Referee: Marcus Playle (New Zealand)
ARs: Stephen Copeman & Mark Jackson
Hong Kong China: Nan Fung Group/SEWIT Women’s Premiership
Societe Generale Valley v Natixis HKFC Ice
Referee: Christabelle Lim (Singapore)
ARs: Nic Futter & Aggie Poon
DAC Kowloon Ladies v Kroll USRC Tigers Ladies
Referee: Mark Jackson (4th WPrem Appointment)
ARs: Evans Lam & Hendro van der Merwe
Gai Wu Falcons v SCAA Causeway Bay Phoenix
Referee: Steven Yuen (33rd WPrem Appointment)
ARs: Sam Chan & Anthony Law
Rugby Europe Super Cup 2023 – round 3
Black Lion v Castilla Y Leon Iberians (in Tbilisi)
Ref: Ru Campbell (SCO)
ARs: Michael Todd (SCO) & Sam O’Neil (SCO)
Tel-Aviv Heat v Romanian Wolves (in Budapest)
Ref: Andrew Cole (IRL)
ARs: Stuart Douglas (IRL) & Henry Richmond (IRL)
Brussels Devils v Bohemia Rugby Warriors (in Soignies, Belgium)
Ref: Alexandru Ionescu (ROU)
ARs: Cristian Serban (ROU) & Andrei Gheorghe (ROU)
Delta v Lusitanos (in Amsterdam)
Referee: Ethan Glass (SUI)
ARs: Paul Timmins (SUI) & Arnaud Kooger (SUI)
Ireland: Energia All Ireland League 1A 23/24
Clontarf v Cork Constitution
Referee: George Clancy George
ARs: Aaron Tracey & Ciaran Murphy
Dublin University v Lansdowne
Referee: Christopher Lough
Terenure College RFC v Shannon
Referee: Oisin Quinn
UCD v Ballynahinch
Referee: Jonathan Erskine
Young Munster v City of Armagh
Referee: Eddie Hogan O’Connell
Scotland: Premiership (Men’s)
Currie Chieftains v Hawick
Referee: Rob McDowell
ARs: lain Heard & Alistair Watt
Jed Forest v Heriot’s Blues
Referee: Michael Bosman
ARs: David Changleng & Bob Nevins
Edinburgh Academical v Glasgow Hawks
Referee: David Young
ARs: Ted Coutts & Willie Anderson
Musselburgh v Selkirk
Referee: Ciaran Stark
ARs: Kevin McGhee & Digby Thomas
Kelso v Marr
Referee: Fergus Hollins
ARs: Darren Fisher & Allan Parry
Scotland: Premiership (Women’s) 2023-24
Garioch WRFC v Cartha Queens Park WRFC
Referee: Cameron Derrett-Moore
ARs: Rebecca Wheater & Andrew Laing
Watsonians WRFC v Corstorphine Cougars WRFC
Referee: Steven Turnbull
ARs: Yvonne Tunnicliff & Walter Gaffney
Hillhead Jordanhill WRFC v Heriots Blues Women
Referee: lain Morrison
ARs: Stephen Ward & Marsha Easley
Stirling County WRFC v Stewartry WRFC
Referee: Alana McLean
ARs: Ronan Machugh & Ronald Innes