Eoghan Cross To Referee First URC Fixture
Eoghan Cross is pictured on assistant referee duty in the United Rugby Championship earlier this season ©INPHO/Laszlo Geczo
IRFU referee Eoghan Cross will referee his first United Rugby Championship match this weekend as he takes charge of Benetton v Cardiff at Stadio di Monigo.
Cross, who recently officiated the Energia All-Ireland League Division 1A final between Clontarf and Terenure College, will be supported by two fellow IRFU officials, Andrew Cole as an assistant referee and Olly Hodges as TMO.
Elsewhere on Friday night, across the final round of URC fixtures, Peter Martin and Paul Haycock are the assistant referees at Kingspan Stadium as Ulster host the Cell C Sharks, and Chris Busby has the whistle in Swansea for the Ospreys-Vodacom Bulls clash.
On Saturday, Joy Neville is at Rodney Parade to officiate the game between the Dragons and the Emirates Lions.
Dan Carson and Keane Davison are the assistant referees at the Sportsground for Connacht’s final game of the season when they entertain Zebre Parma. Colin Stanley is on TMO duty.
Andrew Brace is at BT Murrayfield for the Scottish derby between Edinburgh and Glasgow Warriors, and it is an all-Irish team of officials for the meeting of Leinster and Munster at the Aviva Stadium.
Frank Murphy is the man in the middle for the interprovincial derby, supported by Peter Martin and Oisin Quinn as the assistant referees, while Brian MacNeice is in the TMO seat.
Meanwhile, Brace and Murphy have also been appointed as the assistant referees for the EPCR Challenge Cup final which takes place at the Stade Velodrome in Marseille on Friday, May 27. The Lyon-Toulon match will be officiated by England’s Luke Pearce.
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UNITED RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 18:
Friday, May 20
Benetton v Cardiff Rugby
Stadio di Monigo, Treviso
Referee: Eoghan Cross (IRFU, league debut)
AR 1: Andrew Cole (IRFU), AR 2: Alberto Favaro (FIR)
TMO: Olly Hodges (IRFU)
Ulster v Cell C Sharks
Kingspan Stadium, Belfast
Referee: Ben Blain (SRU, 20th league game)
AR 1: Peter Martin (IRFU), AR 2: Paul Haycock (IRFU)
TMO: Mike Adamson (SRU)
Ospreys v Vodacom Bulls
Swansea.com Stadium, Swansea
Referee: Chris Busby (IRFU, 22nd league game)
AR 1: Ben Whitehouse (WRU), AR 2: Jason Bessant (WRU)
TMO: Jon Mason (WRU)
Saturday, May 21
Dragons v Emirates Lions
Rodney Parade, Newport
Referee: Joy Neville (IRFU, 9th league game)
AR 1: Dewi Phillips (WRU), AR 2: John Darcy (WRU)
TMO: Ian Davies (WRU)
Connacht v Zebre Parma
The Sportsground, Galway
Referee: Adam Jones (WRU, 21st league game)
AR 1: Dan Carson (IRFU), AR 2: Keane Davison (IRFU)
TMO: Colin Stanley (IRFU)
Edinburgh v Glasgow Warriors
BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh
Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU, 78th league game)
AR 1: Ian Kenny (SRU), AR 2: Graeme Ormiston (SRU)
TMO: Andrew McMenemy (SRU)
Leinster v Munster
Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Referee: Frank Murphy (IRFU, 62nd league game)
AR 1: Peter Martin (IRFU), AR 2: Oisin Quinn (IRFU)
TMO: Brian MacNeice (IRFU)
EPCR CHALLENGE CUP FINAL
Friday, May 27
Lyon v Toulon
Stade Velodrome, Marseille
Referee: Luke Pearce (RFU)
AR 1: Andrew Brace (IRFU), AR 2: Frank Murphy (IRFU)
TMO: Ian Tempest (RFU)