Referees for European Cups, Rounds 1 & 2
European Professional Club has named the referees for the first two rounds of its 2019-20 seasons of the Heineken Cup and Challenge Cup.
It is the 25th season of EPCR competitions.
The appointment of referees is done by a referee: selection committee chaired by former Test referee: Joël Jutge of France.
On Friday, 15 November 2019, Ben Whitehouse of Wales will get things starting when he blows the whistle to start the match between Gloucester and Toulouse at Kingsholme. On the same day in , Andrea Piardi of Italy will start the Challenge Cup.
The finals of the two competitions will take place down in the south of France at the Stade de Marseille on 22 and 23 May 2020.
The 20 teams in the Heineken Champions Cup are divided into five pools.
Pool 1: Benetton Treviso, Leinster, Lyon, Northampton Saints
Pool 2: Exeter Chiefs, Glasgow Warriors, La Rochelle, Sale Sharks
Pool 3: Bath, Clermont Auvergne, Harlequins, Ulster
Pool 4: Munster, Ospreys, Racing, Saracens
Pool 5: Connacht, Gloucester, Montpellier, Toulouse
Heineken Champions Cup Fixtures with Referees
Round 1
Friday, 15 November 2019
Gloucester vs Toulouse
Referee: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)
Saturday, 16 November 2019
Bath vs Ulster
Referee: Marius Mitrea (Italy)
Glasgow Warriors vs Sale Sharks
Referee: Alexandre Ruiz (France)
Leinster vs Benetton
Referee: Pierre Brousset (France)
La Rochelle vs Exeter Chiefs
Referee: Mike Adamson (Scotland)
Ospreys vs Munster
Referee: Karl Dickson (England)
Clermont Auvergne vs Harlequins
Referee: Dan Jones (Wales)
Sunday, 17 November 2019
Northampton Saints vs Lyon
Referee: Frank Murphy (Ireland)
Connacht vs Montpellier
Referee: Matthew Carley (England)
Racing 92 vs Saracens
Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland)
Round 2
Friday, 22 November 2019
Ulster vs Clermont Auvergne
Referee: JP Doyle (England)
Saturday, 23 November 2019
Benetton vs Northampton Saints
Referee: Mike Adamson (Scotland)
Saracens vs Ospreys
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France)
Toulouse vs Connacht
Referee: Karl Dickson (England)
Lyon vs Leinster
Referee: Luke Pearce (England)
Exeter Chiefs vs Glasgow Warriors
Referee: Pascal Gaüzère (France)
Munster vs Racing 92
Referee: Matthew Carley (England)
Harlequins vs Bath
Referee: Frank Murphy (Ireland)
Sunday, 24 November 2019
Sale Sharks vs La Rochelle
Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland)
Montpellier vs Gloucester
Referee: George Clancy (Ireland)
Challenge Cup
The 20 teams in the Challenge Cup are divided into five pools
Pool 1: Castres, Dragons, Enisei-STM, Warriors, Worcester
Pool 2: Bayonne, London Irish, Scarlets, Toulon
Pool 3: Agen, Bordeaux-Bègles, Edinburgh, Wasps
Pool 4: Bristol Bears, Brive, Stade Français, Zebre
Pool 5: Calvisano, Cardiff Blues, Leicester Tigers, Pau
Challenge Cup Fixtures with Referees
Round 1
Friday, 15 November 2019
Enisei-STM vs Worcester Warriors
Referee: Andrea Piardi (Italy)
Agen vs Edinburgh
Referee: Joy Neville (Ireland)
Stade Français vs Brive
Referee: Christophe Ridley (England)
Bayonne vs Toulon
Referee: Craig Evans (Wales)
Saturday, 16 November 2019
Calvisano vs Cardiff Blues
Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys (England)
Bristol Bears vs Zebre
Referee: Ludovic Cayre (France)
Leicester Tigers vs Pau
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia)
Dragons vs Castres
Referee: JP Doyle (England)
Scarlets vs London Irish
Referee: Sean Gallagher (Ireland)
Bordeaux-Bègles vs Wasps
Referee: Ben Blain (Scotland)
Round 2
Friday, 22 November 2019
Enisei-STM vs Dragons
Referee: Sam Grove-White (Scotland)
Pau vs Calvisano
Referee: Ben Blain (Scotland)
Brive vs Bristol Bears
Referee: Craig Evans (Wales)
Edinburgh vs Bordeaux-Bègles
Referee: Christophe Ridley (England)
Toulon vs Scarlets
Referee: Tom Foley (England)
Saturday, 23 November 2019
Castres vs Worcester Warriors
Referee: Sean Gallagher (Ireland)
London Irish vs Bayonne
Referee: Joy Neville (Ireland)
Wasps vs Agen
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia)
Zebre vs Stade Français
Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys (England)
Cardiff Blues vs Leicester Tigers
Referee: Pierre Brousset (France)