Davies, Owens start new competitions
The referees have been appointed to the brand new European Champions and Challenge Cup. Tow Welshmen get the competitions going - Ian Davies in the Challenge Cup on Thursday 16 October and Nigel Owens in the Champions Cup on Friday 17 October 2014.
This is the first week of the competition which has replaced the European Cup (the Heineken Cup) and the Amlin Challenge Cup.
Owens, one of the very best referees in the world, refereed in Cape Town the Saturday before last and Mendoza last Saturday and this week will referee in Belfast. He is a refereeing nomad all right, also having refereed in New Zealand, Russia, France, Ireland and England. For this Champions Cup match he is again off to London.
Ian Davies of Porthcawl has also roamed the world, refereeing in Wales, Northern Ireland, Romania, France, Ireland, Italy and England. In June he was at the Junior World Championship in France.
The Appointments
Championship Cup
Round 1
Harlequins vs Castres Olympique
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Sale Sharks vs Munster
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France)
Saracens vs Clermont Auvergne
Referee: John Lacey (Ireland)
Glasgow Warriors vs Bath
Referee: Jérôme Garcès (France)
Racing-Métro 92 vs Northampton Saints
Referee: George Clancy (Ireland)
Leicester Tigers vs Ulster
Referee: Romain Poite (France)
Ospreys vs Benetton Treviso
Referee: Pascal Gauzère (France)
Toulouse vs Montpellier
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Toulon vs Scarlets
Referee: JP Doyle (England)
Leinster vs Wasps
Referee: Leighton Hodges (Wales)
Round 2
Munster vs Saracens
Referee: Jérôme Garcès (France)
Ulster vs Toulon
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Bath vs Toulouse
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Northampton Saints vs Ospreys
Referee: Romain Poite (France)
Montpellier vs Glasgow Warriors
Referee: JP Doyle (England)
Scarlets vs Leicester Tigers
Referee: John Lacey (Ireland)
Castres Olympique vs Leinster
Referee: Greg Garner (England)
Clermont Auvergne vs Sale Sharks
Referee: George Clancy (Ireland)
Wasps vs Harlequins
Referee: Marius Mitrea (Italy)
Challenge Cup
Round 1
Gloucester vs Brive
Referee: Ian Davies (Wales)
Newcastle Falcons vs Bucharest Wolves
Referee: David Wilkinson (Ireland)
Bordeaux-Bègles vs Edinburgh
Referee: Neil Hennessy (Wales)
Lyon vs London Welsh
Referee: Claudio Blessano (Italy)
Cardiff Blues vs Grenoble
Referee: Marius Mitrea (Italy)
Zebre vs Oyonnax
Referee: Matthew Carley (England)
Connacht vs La Rochelle
Referee: Andrew McMenemy (Scotland)
Bayonne vs Exeter Chiefs
Referee: Peter Fitzgibbon (Ireland)
Stade Français Paris vs Newport Gwent Dragons
Referee: Luke Pearce (England)
London Irish vs Femi-CZ Rovigo
Referee: Vlad Iordachescu (Romania)
Round 2
London Welsh vs Bordeaux-Bègles
Referee: Andrew McMenemy (Scotland)
Grenoble vs London Irish
Referee: Peter Fitzgibbon (Ireland)
La Rochelle vs Bayonne
Referee: Leighton Hodges (Wales)
Newport Gwent Dragons vs Newcastle Falcons
Referee: Alexandre Ruiz (France)
Brive vs Zebre
Referee: Neil Hennessy (Wales)
Edinburgh vs Lyon
Referee: Matthew Carley (England)
Femi-CZ Rovigo vs Cardiff Blues
Referee: Laurent Cardona (France)
Bucharest Wolves vs Stade Français Paris
Referee: Neil Paterson (Scotland)
Exeter Chiefs vs Connacht
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France)
Oyonnax vs Gloucester
Referee: Giuseppe Vivarini (Italy)