The referees and their teams for the big rugby finals of the weekend have been announced. Andrea Piardi (pictured bottom right), Karl Dickson (top left) and Tomás Bertazza (top right) have the URC, Gallagher Premiership and Super Rugby Americas finals respectively. It’s Piardi’s third final on the bounce whereas it’s Bertazza and Dickson’s first finals in the middle.
There’s some Oceana and Asia Rugby championship round 2 matches and it’s a few weeks away from the finals elsewhere. It’s semi-finals weekend in the Super Rugby Pacific, and the Barages in France. Messer’s Doleman and Berry will oversee matters in Christchurch and Hamilton. In France, it’s the Top 14 Barages – where the teams who finished third to sixth, play off to decide who plays #1 (Toulouse) and #2 (Bordeaux-Begles) next week in the semi finals. At the other end, there’s the Top 14 Access match where Grenoble, the runners up in last week’s ProD2 final play host to the 13th team in ProD2 – Perpignan. Big matches all round for Tual Trainini, Benoit Rousselet & Thomas Charabas.
In the USA, it’s the men’s two conferences semi finals and in the women’s WER competition, there’s three teams fighting to join the Denver Onyx in next week’s final, for the Legacy Cup. The second spot is currently held by New York Exiles who have a great shot in making it as they play bottom team Chicago. Kat Roche will referee that on her way home from the RWC ref camp in Portugal. There’s men’s and women’s 7s in Europe and in South Africa, the Currie Cup gets under way. Great to see Zoe Naude (bottom left) stepping into the men’s competition as she referees the Leopards v Border Bulldogs.
Enjoy your weekend
Keith
Oceania Women’s Championships – round 3
Fiji v Samoa
Referee: Hibiki Ikeda (Jpn)
ARs: Hani Samaeli & Vasiti Vasuimua
Asia Rugby Men’s Championship 2025 – round 1
Sri Lanka v Korea
Referee: J.P. Clement (UAE)
ARs: Jaco de Witt (UAE) & Jriji Aymen (Saudi)
TMO: Tony Duminy (UAE)
United Arab Emirates v Hong Kong China
Referee: Katsuki Furuse (Jpn)
ARs: Takehito Namekawa (Jpn) & Koki Yamauchi (Jpn)
TMO: Tasuku Kawahara (Jpn)
Rugby Europe 7s Championship – Markarska, Croatia
Women’s series – Leg 1 – Referees: Doriane Constanty (Fra), Maria Lastos (Ger), Jenny Lee (Spa), Adele Robert (Bel), Maria Benvenuti (Ita) & Mary Pringle (Sco)
Men’s Series – Leg 1 – Refeees: Julian Caulier (Fra), Eugeniu Procopi (Mol), Nicolae Fratila (Rom), Luis Fernandez (Spa), Sulkhan Chikladze (Geo) & Franco Rosella (Ita)
URC Grand Final
Leinster Rugby v Vodacom Bulls (at Croke Park, Dublin)
Referee: Andrea Piardi (Ita, 55th league game)
ARs: Mike Adamson (Sco) & Sam Grove-White (Sco)
TMO: Matteo Liperini (Ita)
England: Gallagher Premiership Final
Bath v Leicester Tigers
Referee: Karl Dickson
ARs: Luke Pearce & Adam Leal
TMO: Ian Tempest
Super Rugby Americas – Final
Peñarol Rugby v Dogos XV
Referee: Tomás Bertazza
ARs: Damián Schneider & Francisco González
TMO: Lucas Galán
Super Rugby Pacific – Semi-finals
Crusaders v Blues
Referee: James Doleman
ARs: Paul Williams & Fraser Hannon
TMO: Richard Kelly
Chiefs v Brumbies
Referee: Nic Berry
ARs: Damon Murphy & Jordan Way
TMO: Brett Cronan
France: Top 14: Barrages
Aviron Bayonnais v ASM Clermont
Referee: Tual Trainini
ARs: Jonathan Gasnier & Adrien Marbot
TMO: Jean Luc Rebollal
RC Toulon v Castres Olympique
Referee: Benoit Rousselet
ARs: Kevin Bralley & Jonathan Dufort
TMO: Denis Grenouillet
France: Top 14 Access match (#13 Top 14 v #2 ProD2)
FC Grenoble v USA Perpignan
Referee: Thomas Charabas
ARs: Vincent Blasco Baque & Mathieu Noirot
TMO: Cedric Marchat
USA: MLR Conference Semi Finals
Western Conference
Utah Warriors v Seattle Seawolves
Referee: Saba Abulashvili
ARs: Mike Lawrenson & Alex Nunnally
TMO: Austin Reed
Houston Sabercats v RFC Los Angeles
Referee: Lex Weiner
ARs: Chris Assmus & Cam Russell
TMO: Derek Summers
Eastern Conference:
Chicago Hounds v Old Glory DC
Referee: Luke Rogan
ARs: Federico Anselmi & Morris Fuller
TMO: Austin Reed
New England Free Jacks v Miami Sharks
Referee: Robin Kaluzniak
ARs: Kahlil Harrison & Eanna O’Dowd
TMO: Derek Summers
USA: Women’s Elite Rugby – Round 13
Gemini v Banshees
Referee: Kahlil Harrison
ARs: Kevin Terspstra & Nate Lewin
Breakers v Onyx
Referee: Lindsey Oliver
ARs: Andrew Kendall & Monika Rozkowska
Exiles v Tempest
Referee: Kat Roche
ARs: Constantijn Bakker & Sam Tancredi
Carling Currie Cup – First Division
Eastern Province v Phangela SWD Eagles
Referee: Lulutho Matomela
ARs: Cwengile Jadezweni & Phumzile Mbewu
NovaVit Griffons v Valke
Referee: Griffin Colby
ARs: Local appointments
Leopards v Border Bulldogs
Referee: Zoe Naude
ARs: Stephan Geldenhuys & Angie Bezuidenhout
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