Another quiet rugby week, but some top refs still out and about. Let’s start with the French pair of Aurélie Groizeleau (pictured top left) and Ludovic Cayre (bottom left). Aurélie is refereeing the WXV play off match between Wales and Spain in Cardiff. The outcome of the match will determine which goes to South Africa and WXV 2 and who goes to Dubai for WXV3 in September. Cayre will take charge of his first Top 14 Grand Final with Toulouse playing Bordeaux in Marseille with the Stade de France out of action ahead of the Olympics.
Ireland’s Eoghan Cross (bottom right) is out in Tokyo refereeing Japan against the Maori All Blacks. The only other top level action we’re aware of is in the US, where the MLR gets to their final round of the regular season. Jarrod Ford (top right) made an unplanned debut in April as as a last minute stand in, but this is his first planned MLR match as New England host Charlotte. In San Diego, the Kiwi referee, Angus Mabey gets some whistle time in ahead of the refereeing the USA v Romania match next weekend. This weekend he referees the Legion against the Seattle Seawolves.
There’s also match day one of the u20 Championship in Cape Town, and the second leg of the Rugby Europe 7s championships.
Enjoy your weekend
Keith
WXV Play off
Wales v Spain (in Cardiff)
Referee: Aurélie Groizeleau (FFR)
ARs: Holly Wood (RFU) & Adele Robert (BEL)
TMO: Leo Colgan (IRFU)
Men’s international
Japan XV v Maori All Blacks
Referee: Eoghan Cross (IRFU)
ARs: Luc Ramos (FFR) & Damian Schneider (UAR)
TMO: Brian MacNeice (IRFU)
World Rugby u20 Championship – Day 1 (Sat)
France v Spain
Referee: Federico Vedovelli (FIR)
ARs: Stephan Geldenhuys (SARU) & Paul Mente (SARU)
TMO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)
Ireland v Italy
Referee: Saba Abulashvili (GEO)
ARs: Reuben Keane (RA) & Stephan Geldenhuys (SARU)
TMO: Mike Adamson (SRU)
South Africa v Fiji
Referee: Neheun Jauri Rivero (UAR)
ARs: Reuben Keane (RA) & Stephan Geldenhuys (SARU)
TMO: Damon Murphy (RA)
England v Argentina
Referee: Adam Jones (WRU)
ARs: Sam Grove White (SRU) & AJ Jacobs (SARU)
TMO: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)
Australia v Georgia
Referee: Aimee Barrett-Theron (SARU)
ARs: Sam Grove White (SRU) & Takehito Namekawa (JRFU)
TMO: Ian Tempest (RFU)
Wales v New Zealand
Referee: Morné Ferreira (SARU)
ARs: Takehito Namekawa (JRFU) & Griffin Colby (SARU)
TMO: Mark Patton (IRFU)
World Rugby u20 Trophy – Day 1
Tuesday 2 July (Hive Stadium, Edinburgh)
Japan v Hong Kong China
Referee: Ruairidh Campbell (Sco)
Uruguay v Kenya
Referee: Ethan Glass (Swi)
Scotland v Samoa
Referee: Katsuki Furuse (Jpn)
Netherlands v USA
Referee: Morgan White (HKC)
Rugby Europe 7s Championship series 2024 – Leg 2 (Hamburg)
Women’s Championship – Maria Latos (GER), Nino Eloshvili (GEO)
Alexandra Ferre (FRA), Jen Lee (ESP), Olga Surkova (UKR) & Maria Heitor (POR)
Men’s Championship – Sulkhan Chikladze (GEO), Paulo Duarte (POR),Alexandru Ionescu (ROU), Adrian Pawlik (POL), Franco Rosella (ITA) & Evan Urruzmendi URRUZMENDI (FRA)
France: Top 14 final
Stade Toulousain v Union Bordeaux Bègles
Referee: Ludovic Cayre
ARs: Thomas Charabas & Adrien Marbot
TMO: Eric Gauzins
US: Major League Rugby – round 18
Utah Warriors v RFC Los Angeles
Referee: Amelia Luciano
ARs: Chris Assmus & Kage Green
TMO: Cam Russell
New England Free Jacks v Charlotte Rugby
Referee: Jarrod Ford
ARs: Cisco Lopez & Mike Lawrenson
TMO: Austin Reed
Old Glory DC v NOLA Gold
Referee: Federico Anselmi (Arg)
ARs: Aaron Davis & Craig Sakowski
TMO: Amanda Cox
Chicago Hounds v Miami Sharks
Referee: Scott Green
ARs: Kahlil Harrison & Andrew Dunn
TMO: Cam Russell
Houston Sabercats v Dallas Jackals
Referee: Luke Rogan
ARs: Jacob Gonzales & Jono Copper
TMO: Derek Summers
San Diego Legion v Seattle Seawolves
Referee: Angus Mabey (NZ)
ARs: Marquise Goodwin & Kirk Swanner
TMO: Austin Reed
