The Rugby Championship is back with round 3, plus onto the second week of the Pacific Nations Cup. Andrew Brace, James Doleman, Gianluca Gnecchi and Takehito Namekawa all take charge of those games. We welcome France and the ProD2 back for new season, plus the Scottish men’s premiership. All the referees and their match official teams are below.
Those already up and running include Scotland’s Women’s Premiership (congrats Si Aldridge and Jake Garrod on making debuts at that level), Carling Cup in SA, plus the NPC, Heartlands and Farah Palmer Cup in New Zealand too. Finally, it’s the Hospitals Cup Final in Queensland with Damon Murphy overseeing matters between Brothers and Wests.
A first in NZ, with brothers Todd and Ant Petrie being involved in a first class match as Northland play Southland in the NPC. Todd takes the whistle with Antony on AR duties.
Enjoy your weekend
Keith
The Rugby Championship – round 3
South Africa v New Zealand (in Jo’burg)
Referee: Andrew Brace (Ire)
ARs: Matthew Carley (Eng) & Jordan Way (Aus)
TMO: Brian MacNeice (Ire)
Argentina v Australia (in Buenos Aires)
Referee: James Doleman (NZ)
ARs: Ben O’Keeffe (NZ) & Pierre Brousset (Fra)
TMO: Glenn Newman (NZ)
Pacific Nations Cup – round 2
Samoa v Tonga (in Apia)
Referee: Takehito Namekawa (Jpn)
ARs: Angus Mabey (NZ) & Furuse Katsuki (Jpn)
USA v Canada (in Los Angeles)
Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi (Ita)
ARs: Eoghan Cross (Ire) & Federico Vedovelli (Ita)
TMO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)
South Africa: Carling Currie Cup Premier Division
Suzuki Griquas v Toyota Cheetahs
Referee: AJ Jacobs
TMO: Aimee Barrett-Theron
Vodacom Bulls v Fidelity ADT Lions
Referee: Morne Ferreira
Hollywoodbets Sharks XV v NovaVit Griffons
Referee: Paul Mente
DHL Western Province v Airlink Pumas
Referee: Stephan Geldenhuys
Australia: Queensland Premier Rugby
The Hospitals Cup – Final
Brothers v Wests
Referee: Damon Murphy
ARs: Reuben Keane & Aaron Pook
France: ProD2 – Round 1
CA Brive v Oyonnax Rugby
Referee: Kevin Bralley
ARs: Julien Caulier & Ghyslain Elias
TMO: Denis Grenouillet
Stade Niçois Rugby v AS Béziers Hérault
Referee: Vincent Blasco Baque
ARs: Cyrille Boulay & Fabrice Hand
TMO: Eric Briquet Campin
Biarritz Olympique PB v Valence Romans
Referee: Aurelie Groizeleau
ARs: Benjamin Beuriot & Benoit Lapassade
TMO: Jonathan Dufort
Stade Aurillacois v Soyaux-Angoulême XV
Referee: Stephane Coulon
ARs: Benjamin Hernandez & Cyrille Le Gall
TMO: Akim Hadj Bachir
Stade Montois Rugby v Colomiers Rugby
Referee: Anthony Lac
ARs: Nicolas Bridoux & Herve Lasausa
TMO: Christophe Berdos
US Dax v US Montalbanaise
Referee: Flavien Hourquet
ARs: Ludovic Carrillo & Sylvain Jaymes
TMO: Jean Luc Rebollal
USON Nevers v FC Grenoble Rugby
Referee: Jean Lespes
ARs: David Beun & Sylvain Desvaux
TMO: Eric Gauzins
Provence Rugby v SU Agen
Referee: Benoit Rousselet
ARs: Francois Bouzac & Sylvain Brayelle
TMO: Julien Castaignede
New Zealand: Bunnings NPC – round 4
Northland v Southland
Referee: Todd Petrie
ARs: Stephan Ball & Antony Petrie
TMO: Llew Smart
Taranaki v Otago
Referee: Mike Winter
ARs: Paul Williams & Warwick Lahmert
TMO: Richard Kelly
North Harbour v Counties Manukau
Referee: Maggie Cogger-Orr
ARs: Dean Harris & Scott McKenzie
TMO: Jonathan Paterson
Waikato v Auckland
Referee: Dan Waenga
ARs: Ben Brownlie & Grant Stuart
TMO: Aaron Paterson
Tasman v Bay of Plenty
Referee: Nick Hogan
ARs: Damon Smith & Dave Woodhouse
TMO: Steff James
Canterbury v Wellington
Referee: Stu Curran
ARs: James Munro & John Whitcombe
TMO: Liam Scanlon
Manawatu v Hawke’s Bay
Referee: Paul Williams
ARs: Matt McEwen & Matt Booth
TMO: Carl Baker
Heartland Championship – r3
East Coast v Poverty Bay
Referee: Matt Astle
ARs: TBC
King Country v Thames Valley
Referee: Tim Oliff
ARs: Jamie Bell & Blair Bacon
Mid Canterbury v South Canterbury
Referee: Ben Alexander
ARs: TBC
Wairarapa Bush v North Otago
Referee: Will Johnston
ARs: Alistair Payne & Chris Jefferies
Whanganui v Buller
Referee: Ben Woolerton
ARs: Jacob Booth & Amon Rimene
West Coast v Horowhenua Kapiti
Referee: Dan Moore
ARs: Chris O’Malley & Colin van der Geest
NZ: Farah Palmer Cup Premiership – round 4
Hawke’s Bay v Bay of Plenty
Referee: Erin Doherty
ARs: Stu Catley & Jamie Mather
Waikato v Auckland
Referee: Sam Adam
ARs: Brad Thomas & Andrew Bowe
Counties Manukau v Northland
Referee: Tiana Anderson
ARs: TBC
Farah Palmer Cup Championship – round 4
Tasman v Manawatu
Referee: Tanieka Uerata
ARs: Damon Smith & Dom Calder
Taranaki v Otago
Referee: Warwick Lahmert
ARs: Rohan Gladding & Josh Prestidge
Wellington v North Harbour
Referee: Chloe Sampson
ARs: Ben van Berkel & Zarn Johnson
Scotland: Premiership Women’s
Stewartry v Garioch
Referee: Jake Garrod
ARs: Sean Bicknell & Georgie Downie
Stirling County v Watsonians
Referee: Simon Aldridge
ARs: Gillian Frew & Sean Mallon
Cartha Queens Park v Corstophine Cougars
Referee: Gregor Wightman
ARs: Ronan MacHugh & Duncan Pine
Heriots v Hillhead Jordanhill WRFC
Referee: Chelsea Gillespie
ARs: Beatriz Casares Fernandez & Digby Thomas
Scotland: Men’s Premiership
Marr v Selkirk
Referee: Rob McDowell
ARs: Dave McKervail & Willie Anderson
Edinburgh Academical v Hawick
Referee: David Young
ARs: Brian McGuff & Allan Parry
Kelso v Watsonians
Referee: Michael Todd
ARs: Chelsea Gillespie & Stephen Ward
Melrose Rugby v Heriot’s Rugby Men
Referee: Ciaran Stark
ARs: Bryan Johnston & David Changleng
Glasgow Hawks v Musselburgh
Referee: David Sutherland
ARs: John Hawryluk-Beaton & Digby Thomas
Ayr v Currie Chieftains
Referee: Ruairidh Campbell
ARs: Craig McCann & Charles Samson