A big rugby weekend as the Six Nations kicks off in Marseille on Friday night. Karl Dickson will be back at the ground where he took over from Jaco Peyper in the RWC last year. On Saturday, Paul Williams (pictured top left) is in Rome as England are the visitors. His fellow Kiwi, Ben O’Keeffe is in Cardiff for the Scotland match. There’s the u20s Six Nations at play too with Evan Urruzmendi and Jeremy Rozier (both from France) in Treviso and Colywn Bay. Morne Ferreira of South Africa is in Aix for the France v Ireland match.
In Europe, the men’s Rugby Europe Championship gets underway as well. Hollie Davidson (top right) is back in Amsterdam for the Netherlands v Spain tie up, two weeks after being there for EPCR duties. As well as REC, we have the appointments from across France, England, Ireland, Wales and in Scotland the Women’s Cup competition kicks off. Yvonne Tunnicliff (bottom right) is in Glasgow for the Hillhead Jordanhill WRFC v Stirling County match. Finally, we have the MO teams for some pre-season cross-border matches with Kiwi teams travelling to Japan or Cork! Takehito Nameka (bottom left) from Japan will referee the Wild Knights who host the Chiefs of Waikato.
Enjoy the Six Nations!
Keith
Guinness Six Nations (men’s) – round 1
France v Ireland (in Marseille)
Referee: Karl Dickson (Eng)
ARs: Matthew Carley (Eng) & Jordan Way (Aus)
TMO: Ben Whitehouse (Wal)
Italy v England (in Rome)
Referee: Paul Williams (NZ)
ARs: Nic Berry (Aus) & Nika Amashukeli (Geo)
TMO: Brett Cronan (Aus)
Wales v Scotland (in Cardiff)
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (NZ)
ARs: James Doleman (NZ) & Angus Mabey (NZ)
TMO: Brendon Pickerill (NZ)
U20 Six Nations 2024
Italy v England (in Treviso)
Referee: Evan Urruzmendi (FFR)
ARs: Benoît Rousselet (FFR) & Ian Kenny (SRU)
TMO: Thomas Charabas (FFR)
Wales v Scotland (in Colwyn Bay)
Referee: Jérémy Rozier (FFR)
ARs: Neheun Jauri Rivero (UAR) & Filippo Russo (FIR)
TMO: Mark Patton (IRFU)
France v Ireland (in Aix-en-Provence)
Referee: Morné Ferreira (SARU)
ARs: Aimee Barrett-Theron (SARU) & Anthony Woodthorpe (RFU)
TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (SARU)
Rugby Europe Men’s Championship 2024
Netherlands v Spain
Referee: Hollie Davidson (SCO)
ARs: Jonny Perriam (SCO) & Michael Todd (SCO)
Poland v Romania
Referee: Keane Davison (IRL)
ARs: Robbie Jenkinson (IRL) & Padraic Reidy (IRL)
Germany v Georgia
Referee: Tom Spurrier (WAL)
ARs: Adam Jones (WAL) & Matthew Leon (WAL)
Belgium v Portugal
Referee: Saba Abulashvili (GEO)
ARs: Shota Tezvadze (GEO) & Saba Makharadze (GEO)
Rugby Europe Women’s Championship 2024
Netherlands v Sweden
Referee: Nino Eloshvili (GEO)
ARs: Khaka Gelozia (GEO) & Mariam Goguadze (GEO)
France: Top 14 – round 14
USA Perpignan v Racing 92
Referee: Ludovic Cayre
ARs: David Beun & Stephane Boyer
TMO: Philippe Bonhoure
Oyonnax Rugby v Stade Français Paris
Referee: Jonathan Gasnier
ARs: Kevin Bralley & Thierry Mallet
TMO: Akim Hadj Bachir
ASM Clermont v LOU Rugby
Referee: Thomas Charabas
ARs: Flavien Hourquet & Frederic Masse
TMO: Bruno Bessot
Stade Rochelais v Montpellier Hérault
Referee: Pierre Baptiste Nuchy
ARs: Nicolas Bridoux & Herve Lasausa
TMO: Patrick Pechambert
Section Paloise v Castres Olympique
Referee: Mathieu Raynal
ARs: Benoit Albert Bonnafous & Aurelie Groizeleau
TMO: Christophe Berdos
Stade Toulousain v Aviron Bayonnais
Referee: Adrien Marbot
ARs: Christian Coussan & Mathieu Noirot
TMO: Julien Castaignede
RC Toulon v Union Bordeaux-Bègles
Referee: Vivien Praderie
ARs: Adrien Descottes & Richard Duhau
TMO: Laurent Sclafer
Wales: Indigo Welsh Premiership
Cardiff RFC v Llandovery RFC
Referee: Ben Breakspear
ARs: Ben Connor & Ellis Poulden
Merthyr RFC v Pontypridd RFC
Referee: Simon Mills
ARs: Karim Cosslett & Owen Wrangham
Celtic Challenge
Brython Thunder v Glasgow Warriors
Referee: Jenny Davies (WRU)
ARs: Sarah Toll (WRU) & Ceri Parry (WRU)
Edinburgh v Clovers
Referee: Rob McDowell (SRU)
ARs: Chelsea Gillespie (SRU) & Beatriz Casares Fernandez (SRU)
England: RFU Championship – round 11
Doncaster Knights v Cambridge
Referee: Hamish Grant
ARs: Alex Thomas & James Clarke
Ampthill v Nottingham
Referee: Andy Wigley
ARs: Richard Gordon & Mike Woods
Caldy v Coventry
Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys
ARs: Joe James & Phil Watters
Ealing Trailfinders v Hartpury University
Referee: Mike Hudson
ARs: Charlie Gayther & Veryan Boscawen
Bedford Blues v Cornish Pirates
Referee: Andrew Jackson
ARs: Simon Harding & Calum Howard
England: PWR – round 9
Leicester Tigers Women v Gloucester-Hartpury Women’s RFC
Referee: Holly Wood
ARs: Andy Ashwell & Simon Park
Bristol Bears Women v Exeter Chiefs Women
Referee: Dan Jones
ARs: Peter Brunt & Kevin Wiliams
Saracens Women v Trailfinders Women
Referee: Jonathan Cook
ARs: Neil Chivers & Lionel Spooner
Harlequins Women v Sale Sharks Women
Referee: Harry Walbaum
ARs: Gareth Holsgrove & James Cornell
TMO: Dan Jones
Pre-season Super Rugby Pacific Match
Highlanders v Moana Pasifika (in Queenstown, NZ)
Referee: Fraser Hannon (NZR)
ARs: Craig Anderson & Hamish McKnight
Cross Border Rugby 2024 (Japan & NZ)
Sungoliath v Blues (in Tokyo)
Referee: Katsuki Furuse (JRFU)
ARs: Ibuki Tetsuka & Toshimasa Sekiya
TMO: Minoru Fuji
Wild Knights v Chiefs (in Kumagaya)
Referee: Takehito Nameka (JRFU)
ARs: Tetsuya Hirakawa & Teruhisa Kajiwara TMO: Yosuke Kimura
2024 Clash of Champions
Munster v Crusaders (in Cork)
Referee: Chris Busby (IRFU)
ARs: Frank Murphy (IRFU) & Peter Martin (IRFU)
TMO: Leo Colgan (IRFU)
Scotland: Premiership (Men’s) 2023-24
Selkirk v Hawick
Referee: Calum Worsley
ARs: Scott McCall & Bob Nevins
Currie Chieftains v Edinburgh Academical
Referee: David Young
ARs: Mary Pringle & Jayme McGoldrick
Heriot’s Blues v Glasgow Hawks
Referee: Fergus Hollins
ARs: Bryan Johnston & Digby Thomas
Jed Forest v Kelso
Referee: John Smith
ARs: Alex Obreja & Brian McGuff
Musselburgh v Marr
Referee: Ciaran Stark
ARs: Michael Milner & David Changleng
Scotland: Sarah Beaney Cup
Hillhead Jordanhill WRFC v Stirling County WRFC
Referee: Yvonne Tunnicliff
ARs: Lee Fish & Sean Mallon
Cartha Queens Park v Corstorphine Cougars
Referee: Alana McLean
ARs: Angus Healy & Stephen Ward
Watsonians WRFC v Heriots Blues Women
Referee: Beatriz Casares Fernandez
ARs: Jayme McGoldrick & John Hawryluk-Beaton
West Asia Premiership
Dubai Tigers v Jebel Ali Dragons
Referee: Brayden Hudson
ARs: Jaco Dewitt & Simon Dodd
Bahrain v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Referee: James Fairbourn
ARs: JP Clements & Matt Riley