Just because it’s Christmas week, doesn’t mean the rugby stops, and so the players and referees are all ready for another rugby weekend.
Andrew Brace (pictured left) will referee in the URC for the 100th time as Connacht take on Ulster this Saturday. Brace becomes the fifth to reach that level having made his PRO12 debut back in 2015. He joins URC100 Club members Nigel Owens, George Clancy, Marius Mitrea and Ben Whitehouse. Congrats Bracey!
Elsewhere we have the Top 3 leagues in Japan where Marcus Playle (top right) from New Zealand referees in Tokyo, round 2 of the Celtic Challenge and a full list from the Championship in England. There’s round nine of the Gallagher Premiership men’s with a double header in Twickenham where the PWR match between Quins and Leicester will be refereed by Holly Wood. The men’s version is being overseen by Matthew Carley (bottom left and right respectively).
Enjoy the rest of your week and a very Happy 2025 when you get there!
Keith
The PWR
Harlequins Women v Leicester Tigers Women
Referee: Holly Wood
ARs: Calum Howard & James Cornell
Gallagher Premiership – round 9
Bristol Bears v Sale Sharks
Referee: Adam Leal
ARs: Anthony Woodthorpe & Calum Howard
Bath Rugby v Saracens
Referee: Karl Dickson
ARs: Harry Walbaum & Jamie Leahy
Northampton Saints v Newcastle Falcons
Referee: Luke Pearce
ARs: Hamish Smales & Wayne Falla
Harlequins v Leicester Tigers
Referee: Matthew Carley
ARs: Craig Maxwell-Keys & Greg Macdonald
Exeter Chiefs v Gloucester Rugby
Referee: Christophe Ridley
ARs: Anthony Woodthorpe & Gareth Holsgrove
RFU Championship
Ealing Trailfinders v Caldy
Referee: Charlie Gayther
ARs: Ben Wood & Veryan Boscawen
London Scottish v Chinnor
Referee: Jamie Parr
ARs: Ryan Collier & Kevin Williams
Nottingham v Coventry
Referee: Joe James
ARs: Henry Pearson & Gregg Dawson
Bedford Blues v Cambridge
Referee: Jonathan Cook
ARs: Ben Simpson & James Pidding
Ampthill v Cornish Pirates
Referee: Hamish Grant
ARs: Ben Simpson & Simon Park
Doncaster Knights v Hartpury University
Referee: George Selwood
ARs: Nikki O’Donnell & John Meredith
Celtic Challenge – Round 2
Brython Thunder v Gwalia Lightning
Referee: Amber Stamp-Dunstan
ARs: Lucy Rees & Sarah Mee
Clovers vs Wolfhounds
Referee: Sam Holt
ARs: Mark Hynes & Ciarán OFlynn
Japan: League One: Division 1
SAITAMA WILD KNIGHTS v KUBOTA SPEARS
Referee: Koki Yamauchi
ARs: Atsushi Yamamoto & Kouhei Osawa
TMO: Takehito Namekawa
BLACK RAMS TOKYO v TOKYO SUNGOLIATH
Referee: Tasuku Kawahara
ARs: Tetsuya Hirakawa & Yuma Higashimura
TMO: Minoru Fuji
TOYOTA VERBLITZ v MIE HONDA HEAT
Referee: Marcus Playle (NZ)
ARs: Toshimasa Sekiya & Hibiki Ikeda
TMO: Katsuki Furuse
URAYASU D-Rocks v SHIZUOKA BLUE REVS
Referee: Ibuki Tetsuka
ARs: Ryoji Hirose & Ano Kuwai
TMO: Tomohiro Koyama
TOSHIBA BRAVE LUPUS v MITSUBISHI DYNABOARS
Referee: Katsuki Furuse
ARs: Ibuki Tetsuka & Rikito Nobuhara
TMO: Minoru Fuji
KOBELCO KOBE STEELERS v YOKOHAMA CANON EAGLES
Referee: Takehito Namekawa
ARs: Koki Yamauchi & Atsushi Yamamoto
TMO: Yosuke Kimura
Division 2
KAMAISHI SEAWAVES v NEC GREEN ROCKETS TOKATSU
Referee: Motonori Mizutani
ARs: Kenta Mitsui & Ryotaro Shindo
TMO: Yoshiyuki Nino
SHIMIZU KOTO BLUE SHARKS v KYUDEN VOLTEX
Referee: Masaki Kondou
ARs: Sota Ohuchi & Asahi Takara
TMO: Nobutsugu Oda
TOYOTA SHUTTLES AICHI v RED HURRICANES OSAKA
Referee: Sota Ohuchi
ARs: Teruki Inanishi & Hibiki Ikeda
TMO: Nobutsugu Oda
Division 3
KURITA WATER GUSH AKISHIMA v YAKULT LEVINS TODA
Referee: Teruki Inanishi
ARs: Rikito Nobuhara & Hiroshi Kitamura
SAYAMA SECOM RUGGUTS v SKYACTIVES HIROSHIMA
Referee: Teruhisa Kajiwara
ARs: Toshimasa Sekiya & Tetsuya Hirakawa
BKT United Rugby Championship – Round 9
Munster v Leinster
Referee: Sam Grove-White (Sco, 49th league game)
ARs: Keane Davison (Ire) & Chris Lough (Ire)
TMO: Mike Adamson (Sco)
DHL Stormers v Hollywoodbets Sharks
Referee: Aimee Barret-Theron (SA, 8th league game)
ARs: AJ Jacobs (SA) & Stephan Geldenhuys (SA)
TMO: Marius Jonker (SA)
Zebre Parma v Benetton
Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi (Ita, 34th league game)
ARs: Fillipo Russo (Ita) & Franco Rosella (Ita)
TMO: Stefano Roscini (Ita)
Edinburgh Rugby v Glasgow Warriors
Referee: Eoghan Cross (Ire, 24th league game)
ARs: Hollie Davidson (Sco) & Jonny Perriam (Sco)
TMO: Leo Colgan (Ire)
Connacht v Ulster
Referee: Andrew Brace (Ire, 100th league game)
ARs: Robbie Jenkinson (Ire) & Tomas O’Sullivan (Ire)
TMO: Olly Hodges (Ire)
Cardiff Rugby v Ospreys
Referee: Ben Breakspear (Wal, 6th league game)
ARs: Ben Connor (Wal) & Adam Jones (Wal)
TMO: Tom Spurrier (Wal)
Scarlets v Dragons RFC
Referee: Ben Whitehouse (Wal, 105th league game)
ARs: Craig Evans (Wal) & Mike English (Wal)
TMO: Aled Griffiths (Wal)
France: Top 14 – round 13
Section Paloise v RC Vannes
Referee: Jonathan Gasnier
ARs: Pierre Bru & Christian Coussan
TMO: Jean Luc Rebollal
Aviron Bayonnais v Castres Olympique
Referee: Benoit Rousselet
ARs: Fabrice Hand & Benjamin Hernandez
TMO: Julien Castaignede
ASM Clermont v Montpellier Hérault Rugby
Referee: Thomas Charabas
ARs: Frederic Chazal & Pierre Baptiste Nuchy
TMO: Cyril Lafon
Union Bordeaux-Bègles v RC Toulon
Referee: Pierre Brousset
ARs: Benoit Albert Bonnafous & Kevin Bralley
TMO: Denis Grenouillet
Racing 92 v LOU Rugby
Referee: Vivien Praderie
ARs: Ghyslain Elias & Adrien Marbot
TMO: Laurent Sclafer
USA Perpignan v Stade Rochelais
Referee: Vincent Blasco Baque
ARs: Stephane Crapoix & Jeremy Rozier
TMO: Christophe Berdos
Stade Toulousain v Stade Français Paris
Referee: Evan Urruzmendi
ARs: Ludovic Cayre & Thierry Mallet
TMO: Tual Trainini
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