Referees Confirmed For European Openers

Wayne Barnes will be in charge of Munster’s first match in defence of their Heineken Cup title when the English referee takes charge of the champions’ clash with Montauban at the renovated Thomond Park on Friday, October 10.

ERC (European Rugby Cup) have confirmed the match official lists for the opening two rounds of the 2008/09 Heineken Cup and European Challenge Cup.

A total of five Irish referees will take charge of European club matches between October 9 and 19 – they are Alain Rolland, Alan Lewis, George Clancy, Peter Fitzgibbon and Colin Stanley.

The Munster v Montauban tie will be Wayne Barnes’ 13th tournament match as Montauban make their Heineken Cup debut against the 2006 and 2008 Heineken Cup winners.

James Jones (Wales) will also be in Friday night Round 1 action when he controls Perpignan’s home match against Benetton Treviso.

Ireland’s Alan Lewis, who has refereed a record 52 tournament matches, will be on duty in France when ASM Clermont Auvergne and Sale Sharks meet on the opening Saturday.

But another Irish referee, Peter Fitzgibbon, will have the honour of launching the action of the new European club rugby season when he blows his whistle for the kick-off to Toulon and Northampton’s encounter in the televised Thursday night European Challenge Cup at Stade Felix Mayol on October 9.

2008/09 HEINEKEN CUP (all kick-offs local times):

ROUND 1 –

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2008
Pool 1 Munster v Montauban 20.00 Wayne Barnes (E)
Sky Sports / RTE*
Pool 3 Perpignan v Benetton Treviso 21.00 James Jones (W)
Canal+ Sport / Sky Italia

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2008
Pool 1 ASM Clermont Auvergne v Sale Sharks 14.35 Alan Lewis (I)
Canal+ / Sky Sports**

Pool 2 Edinburgh v Leinster 13.35 David Pearson (E)
Sky Sports / RTE* / Sky Italia

Pool 4 Scarlets v Harlequins 15.30 Christophe Berdos (F)
S4C* / Sky Sports**

Pool 4 Ulster Rugby v Stade Fran?ais Paris 15.30 Nigel Owens (W)
Sky Sports / FR2

Pool 5 Newport Gwent Dragons v Glasgow Warriors 14.30 Romain Poite (F)

Pool 6 Gloucester Rugby v Biarritz Olympique 17.30 Peter Allan (S)
Sky Sports / Canal+ Sport

Pool 6 Rugby Calvisano v Cardiff Blues 14.35 Rob Debney (E)
Sky Italia / Sky Sports**

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2008
Pool 2 London Wasps v Castres Olympique 15.00 Carlo Damasco (It)
Sport+ / Sky Sports**

Pool 3 Leicester Tigers v Ospreys 13.00 Alain Rolland (I)
Sky Sports

Pool 5 Toulouse v Bath Rugby 16.00 George Clancy (I)
FR2 / Sky Sports / Sky Italia

ROUND 2 – 

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2008
Pool 5 Glasgow Warriors v Toulouse 20.00 Alan Lewis (I)
Sky Sports/Canal+ Sport/Sky Italia

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2008
Pool 2 Castres Olympique v Edinburgh 18.30 Andrew Small (E) Canal+ Sport / Sky Sports**

Pool 2 Leinster v London Wasps 17.30 Nigel Owens (W)
Sky Sports / RTE* / Sky Italia

Pool 3 Benetton Treviso v Leicester Tigers 14.35 Romain Poite (F)
Sky Italia / Sky Sports**

Pool 3 Ospreys v Perpignan 15.30 Wayne Barnes (E)
Sky Sports / FR2

Pool 4 Stade Fran?ais Paris v Scarlets 14.35 Peter Allan (S)
Canal+ / Sky Sports

Pool 4 Harlequins v Ulster Rugby 15.00 Tim Hayes (W)

Pool 6 Biarritz Olympique v Rugby Calvisano 18.00 Andy McPherson (S)

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2008
Pool 1 Montauban v ASM Clermont Auvergne 16.00 Chris White (E)
FR2

Pool 1 Sale Sharks v Munster 13.00 Christophe Berdos (F)
Sky Sports / Sport+ / RTE*

Pool 5 Bath Rugby v Newport Gwent Dragons 13.00 Carlo Damasco (It)
S4C* / Sky Sports**

Pool 6 Cardiff Blues v Gloucester Rugby 15.00 Alain Rolland (I)
Sky Sports / Sky Italia

2008/09 EUROPEAN CHALLENGE CUP (all kick-offs local times):

ROUND 1 –

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2008
Pool 2 Toulon v Northampton Saints 20.45 Peter Fitzgibbon (I)
FR4 / Sky Sports

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2008
Pool 1 Dax v Connacht Rugby 19.00 Andrew Small (E)

Pool 2 Montpellier v Bristol Rugby 19.00 Andy McPherson (S) Eurosport France / Sky Sports

Pool 5 Bayonne v Viadana 19.30 Colin Stanley (I)

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2008
Pool 1 London Irish v Rugby Rovigo 15.00 Pascal Gauzere (F)

Pool 3 Petrarca Rugby v Worcester Warriors 15.00 David Rosich (F)

Pool 4 Newcastle Falcons v El Salvador 18.30 Patrick Pechambert (F)

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2008
Pool 3 Bucuresti Oaks v Bourgoin 16.30 Alan Falzone (It)

Pool 4 Overmach Parma v Brive 14.30 Neil Patterson (S)

Pool 5 Saracens v Mont de Marsan 15.00 Tim Hayes (W)

ROUND 2 – 

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2008
Pool 4 Brive v Newcastle Falcons 20.45 Peter Fitzgibbon (I) Eurosport France / Sky Sports

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2008
Pool 1 Connacht Rugby v London Irish 19.00 Jerome Garces (F)

Pool 2 Bristol Rugby v Toulon 19.45 George Clancy (I)

Pool 3 Bourgoin v Petrarca Rugby 20.30 JP Doyle (E)

Pool 5 Mont de Marsan v Bayonne 19.00 Rob Debney (E)

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2008
Pool 1 Rugby Rovigo v Dax 15.00 Gwyn Morris (W)

Pool 2 Northampton Saints v Montpellier 19.45 James Jones (W) Sky Sports / FR4

Pool 5 Viadana v Saracens 19.00 Pascal Gauzere (F)

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2008
Pool 3 Bucuresti Oaks v Worcester Warriors 16.30 Stefan Pomarede (F)

Pool 4 El Salvador v Overmach Parma 12.30 Graham Knox (S)