Lots of local derbies this weekend/week as league organisers look after the teams and fans around the festive window. Most referees also have shorter journeys too. One exception is Andrew Cole (pictured bottom right) and his AR team who have the 4800km journey from Ireland to Georgia as the Black Lions host Tel-Aviv Heat in the Rugby Europe Super Cup! The hosts will be bouncing after their Challenge Cup win last week in Wales! Travel well, Andrew, Keane and Chris – hopefully get home in time for Christmas (or at least Boxing Day when Andrew’s also on the line in the Munster v Leinster derby!)
Elsewhere we have full rounds of the URC, Top 14 and Premierships (men’s and women’s) in England and men’s in Wales. Finally we have all three League One leagues in Japan. In France, Racing 92 lead the league going into the festive period. Ludo Cayre (top left) will referee their match with Oyonnax (not a short local derby trip!). Congratulations to Italian referee, Filippo Russo (bottom left), who will referee his debut URC match with the the all-Italian Zebre Parma v Benetton tie-up. In England, Sara Cox (top right) is in action with the televised PWR game as Saracens host Bristol in north west London.
Wherever you are in the world, and whether you celebrate or not, may we wish you all a happy Christmas!
Enjoy!
Keith
Rugby Europe Super Cup 2023
Black Lion v Tel-Aviv Heat (in Tbilisi)
Referee: Andrew Cole (Ire)
ARs: Keane Davison (Ire) & Christopher Lough (Ire)
BKT United Rugby Championship – Round 8
Glasgow Warriors v Edinburgh Rugby
Referee: Sam Grove-White (SRU, 40th league game)
ARs: Hollie Davidson (SRU) & Ru Campbell (SRU)
TMO: David Sutherland (SRU)
Ulster v Connacht
Referee: Eoghan Cross (IRFU, 12th league game)
ARs: Frank Murphy (IRFU) & Joy Neville (IRFU)
TMO: Olly Hodges (IRFU)
Zebre Parma v Benetton
Referee: Filippo Russo (FIR, league debut)
ARs: Andrea Piardi (FIR) & Gianluca Gnecchi (FIR)
TMO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)
DHL Stormers v Vodacom Bulls
Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen (SARU, 19th league game)
ARs: Aimee Barrett-Theron (SARU) & Griffin Colby (SARU)
TMO: Marius Jonker (SARU)
Boxing Day matches
Cardiff Rugby v Dragons RFC
Referee: Ben Whitehouse (WRU, 96th league game)
ARs: Ben Breakspear (WRU) & Ben O’Connor (WRU)
TMO: Wayne Davies (WRU)
Scarlets v Ospreys
Referee: Craig Evans (WRU, 51st league game)
ARs: Adam Jones (WRU) & Gwyn Morris (WRU)
TMO: Jon Mason (WRU)
Munster v Leinster
Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU, 91st league game)
ARs: Peter Martin (IRFU) & Andrew Cole (IRFU)
TMO: Brian McNeice (IRFU)
Indigo Welsh Premiership – round 15
Cardiff RFC v Pontypridd RFC
Referee: Ben Breakspear
ARs: Rhys Jones & Mark Butcher
TMO: Greg Morgan
Bridgend RFC v Swansea RFC
Referee: Tom Spurrier
ARs: Gareth Newman & Rhodri Morgan
Ebbw Vale RFC v Merthyr RFC
Referee: Mike English
ARs: Steffan Edwards & Simon Harris
Llandovery RFC v Carmarthen RFC
Referee: Dewi Phillips
ARs: Elliot Mayor & Martyn Jones
Pontypool RFC v Newport RFC
Referee: Simon Mills
ARs: Ben Connor & Gareth Jablonski
Neath RFC v Aberavon RFC
Referee: Keith David
ARs: Steffan Edwards & Jason Griffiths
France: Top 14 – round 10
USA Perpignan v Aviron Bayonnais
Referee: Luc Ramos
ARs: Thierry Mallet & Benoit Rousselet
TMO: Philippe Bonhoure
Union Bordeaux-Bègles v LOU Rugby
Referee: Mathieu Raynal
ARs: Benoit Albert Bonnafous & Jeremy Rozier
TMO: Eric Gauzins
Montpellier Hérault Rugby v Castres Olympique
Referee: Jonathan Gasnier
ARs: Herve Lasausa & Frederic Masse
TMO: Patrick Dellac
Racing 92 v Oyonnax Rugby
Referee: Ludovic Cayre
ARs: Richard Duhau & Vivien Praderie
TMO: Bruno Bessot
Section Paloise v ASM Clermont
Referee: Pierre Brousset
ARs: Stephane Boyer & Mathieu Noirot
TMO: Jean Luc Rebollal
Stade Français Paris v Stade Rochelais
Referee: Thomas Charabas
ARs: Nicolas Bridoux & Adrien Descottes
TMO: Christophe Berdos
Stade Toulousain v RC Toulon
Referee: Adrien Marbot
ARs: Stephane Crapoix & Pierre Baptiste Nuchy
TMO: Julien Castaignede
England: Gallagher Premiership – round 9
Newcastle Falcons v Bristol Bears
Referee: Anthony Woodthorpe
ARs: Jonathan Cook & Jamie Leahy
TMO: Rowan Kitt
Sale Sharks v Saracens
Referee: Ian Tempest
ARs: Hamish Grant & John Meredith
TMO: Andrew Jackson
Exeter Chiefs v Leicester Tigers
Referee: Tom Foley
ARs: George Selwood & Jonathan Healy
TMO: David Rose
Gloucester Rugby v Northampton Saints
Referee: Hamish Smales
ARs: Harry Walbaum & Neil Chivers
TMO: Dean Richards
Bath Rugby v Harlequins
Referee: Luke Pearce
ARs: Andrew Jackson & Paul Dix
TMO: Stuart Terheege
England: RFU Championship – round 8
Ampthill v Bedford Blues
Referee: Alex Thomas
ARs: Veryan Boscawen & James Clarke
Caldy v Doncaster Knights
Referee: Dan Jones
ARs: Peter Brunt & Simon Park
Cornish Pirates v Hartpury University
Referee: Joe James
ARs: Kevin Williams & Phil Watters
London Scottish v Cambridge
Referee: Mike Hudson
ARs: Mike Woods & Lionel Spooner
Boxing Day
Coventry v Nottingham
Referee: Harry Walbaum
ARs: Alex Thomas & Neil Chivers
England: Premiership Women’s Rugby – round 6
Trailfinders Women v Sale Sharks Women
Referee: Andy Wigley
ARs: Holly Wood & Darryl Chapman
Saracens Women v Bristol Bears Women
Referee: Sara Cox
ARs: Calum Howard & Ryan Collier
TMO: Nikki O’Donnell
Loughborough Lightning v Exeter Chiefs Women
Referee: Richard Gordon
ARs: Kasey Allen & James Cornell
Japan: League One – Div 1
PANASONIC v RICOH
Referee: Tasuku Kawahara
ARs:Kenta Mitsui & Takuya Arai
TMO:Minoru Fuji
CANON v KINTETSU
Referee: Ibuki Tetsuka
ARs: Teruhisa Kajiwara & Yosuke Kimura
TMO: Kazuhito Taniguchi
TOYOTA v MITSUBISHI
Referee: Toshimasa Sekiya
ARs: Masamichi Tatekawa & Hiroshi Kitamura
TMO: Tomohiro Koyama
HONDA v SUNTORY
Referee: Katsuki Furuse
ARs: Tetsuya Hirakawa & Hiroshi Kitamura
TMO: Tasuku Kawahara
KUBOTA v SHIZUOKA
Referee: Teruhisa Kajiwara
ARs: Toshimasa Sekiya & Motonori Mizutani
TMO: Nobutsugu Oda
KOBE v TOSHIBA
Referee: Takehito Namekawa
ARs: Atsushi Yamamoto & Shuhei Hamada
TMO: Koji Taniguchi
Div2
TOYOTASHOKKI v DOCOMO
Referee: Kenta Mitsui
ARs: Masamichi Tatekawa & Takumi Hamada
TMO: Yoshiyuki Nino
NEC v KYUDEN
Referee: Tetsuya Hirakawa
ARs: Masaki Kondou & Ano Kuwai
TMO: Yoshiyuki Nino
KAMAISHI v D-ROCKS
Referee: Noriaki Hashimoto
ARs: Ibuki Tetsuka & Hibiki Ikeda
TMO: Tomohiro Koyama
Div3
HINO v KURITA
Referee: Ryoji Hirose
ARs: Sota Ohuchi & Masaki Kondou
CHUDEN v SHIMIZU
Referee: Koki Yamauchi
ARs: Motonori Mizutani & Shuhei Hamada