Referees Appointed For Opening European Ties

Nigel Owens will become only the fourth referee to take charge of 50 Heineken Cup matches when the leading Welsh official takes charge of the round 1 clash between French champions Clermont Auvergne and Saracens at the Stade Marcel Michelin on Saturday, October 9.

Tournament organisers ERC have announced the referees for the opening two rounds of European club rugby’s two top tournaments, the Heineken Cup and Amlin Challenge Cup.

Owens will join Irish pair Alan Lewis and Alain Rolland and English official Chris White in reaching the half century of Heineken Cup matches – Lewis taking his record mark to 67 matches when he controls tournament newcomers Toulon’s home match against the Ospreys.

And making their Heineken Cup refereeing bows will be Ireland’s John Lacey, who will take charge of Northampton Saints v Castres Olympique in round 1, and JP Doyle of England, who will control Perpignan against Benetton Treviso in round 2.

Lacey, the former Shannon and Munster winger who scored four tries in six Heineken Cup appearances for his native province in the 1997/98 tournament, joins Rolland (Leinster) and Malcolm Changleng (Borders) in both playing in and refereeing Heineken Cup matches.

Meanwhile, Ireland’s Dudley Phillips and Italian official Carlo Damasco will have the honour of getting the new European club rugby season up and running when they take charge of the opening Amlin Challenge Cup matches on Thursday, October 7.

Damasco will take charge of the Newcastle Falcons v Bourgoin tie, with Phillips controlling Crociati Rugby’s debut European match against two-time Heineken Cup finalists Stade Francais.

French official Laurent Cardona will also be making his European bow, at the Bucharest Oaks v Leeds Carnegie round 1 clash.

HEINEKEN CUP REFEREE APPOINTMENTS:

ROUND 1 –

Friday, October 8
Pool 1: Northampton Saints v Castres Olympique, 8pm; John Lacey (Ireland), Sky Sports
Pool 4: Ulster v Aironi Rugby, 7.30pm; Peter Allan (Scotland)
Pool 6: Glasgow Warriors v Newport Gwent Dragons, 7.30pm; Jerome Garces (France)

Saturday, October 9
Pool 1: Cardiff Blues v Edinburgh, 5.45pm; Romain Poite (France), S4C *
Pool 2: Leinster v Racing Metro 92, 1.30pm; David Pearson (England), Sky Sports
Pool 2: Clermont Auvergne v Saracens, 4.30pm local time; Nigel Owens (Wales), FR2
Pool 3: Toulon v Ospreys, 2.30pm local time; Alan Lewis (Ireland), Canal+
Pool 3: London Irish v Munster, 5.45pm; Christophe Berdos (France), Sky Sports
Pool 5: Benetton Treviso v Leicester Tigers, 2.30pm; Pascal Gauzere (France), Sky Italia
Pool 5: Scarlets v Perpignan, 3.30pm; Andrew Small (England), Sky Sports

Sunday, October 10
Pool 4: Bath v Biarritz Olympique, 1pm; Alain Rolland (Ireland), Sky Sports
Pool 6: Toulouse v London Wasps, 4pm local time; George Clancy (Ireland), FR2

* Highlights

ROUND 2 –

Friday, October 15
Pool 1: Castres Olympique v Cardiff Blues, 9pm local time; Alan Lewis (Ireland), Canal+
Pool 3: Ospreys v London Irish, 8pm; Peter Fitzgibbon (Ireland), Sky Sports

Saturday, October 16
Pool 1: Edinburgh v Northampton Saints, 1.30pm; Jerome Garces (France), Sky Sports
Pool 2: Racing Metro 92 v ASM Clermont Auvergne, 2.30pm local time; Alain Rolland (Ireland), Canal+
Pool 2: Saracens v Leinster, 5.45pm; Christophe Berdos (France), Sky Sports
Pool 3: Munster v Toulon, 3.30pm; Wayne Barnes (England), Sky Sports
Pool 4: Aironi Rugby v Bath, 2.30pm local time; John Lacey (Ireland), Sky Italia
Pool 6: Newport Gwent Dragons v Toulouse, 5.45pm; Andrew Small (England), S4C *

Sunday, October 17
Pool 4: Biarritz Olympique v Ulster, 4pm local time; David Pearson (England), FR2
Pool 5: Leicester Tigers v Scarlets, 3pm; George Clancy (Ireland), Sky Sports
Pool 5: Perpignan v Benetton Treviso, 2pm local time; JP Doyle (England), Canal+
Pool 6: London Wasps v Glasgow Warriors, 1pm; Pascal Gauzere (France), Sky Sports

* Highlights

AMLIN CHALLENGE CUP REFEREE APPOINTMENTS:

ROUND 1 –

Thursday, October 7
Pool 3: Newcastle Falcons v Bourgoin, 7.45pm; Carlo Damasco (Italy), Sky Sports
Pool 4: Stade Francais v Crociati Rugby, 8.45pm local time; Dudley Phillips (Ireland), Eurosport France

Friday, October 8
Pool 2: Sale Sharks v Cetransa El Salvador, 7.45pm Cedric Marchat (France)
Pool 2: Brive v Petrarca Rugby, 8pm local time; Tim Hayes (Wales)
Pool 5: Agen v Gloucester, 6.30pm; Neil Paterson (Scotland), Eurosport France

Saturday, October 9
Pool 1: I Cavalieri Estra v Connacht, 3pm; Mathieu Raynal (France)
Pool 3: Exeter Chiefs v Montpellier, 3pm; Andy Macpherson (Scotland)
Pool 4: Bucharest Oaks v Leeds Carnegie, 3pm local time; Laurent Cardona (France)
Pool 5: Femi-CZ Rovigo v La Rochelle, 3pm local time; Gwyn Morris (Wales)

Sunday, October 10
Pool 1: Bayonne v Harlequins, 6.45pm local time; James Jones (Wales), FR4/Sky Sports

ROUND 2 –

Thursday, October 14
Pool 3: Montpellier v Newcastle Falcons, 8.45pm local time; Neil Paterson (Scotland), Eurosport France/Sky Sports

Friday, October 15
Pool 1: Connacht v Bayonne, 7pm; Carlo Damasco (Italy)
Pool 3: Bourgoin v Exeter Chiefs, 7.30pm local time; James Jones (Wales)

Saturday, October 16
Pool 1: Harlequins v I Cavalieri Estra, 3pm; Andy Macpherson (Scotland)
Pool 2: Cetransa El Salvador v Brive, 4.30pm local time; Gwyn Morris (Wales)
Pool 2: Petrarca Rugby v Sale Sharks, 3pm local time; Dudley Phillips (Ireland)
Pool 4: Bucharest Oaks v Crociati Rugby, 3pm local time; Tim Hayes (Wales)
Pool 5: La Rochelle v Agen, 8.45pm local time; Greg Garner (England), Eurosport France
Pool 5: Gloucester v Femi-CZ Rovigo, 3pm; Mathieu Raynal (France)

Sunday, October 17
Pool 4: Leeds Carnegie v Stade Francais, 5.45pm; Peter Allan (Scotland), Sky Sports/FR4

Interested in becoming a referee? Click here for further details.

Related Links –

Lacey Continues Progress As Referee

Irish Referees To The Fore This Summer