SA ref gets big Euro gig
REFEREE NEWS: Ahead of the semifinals of the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup, EPCR announced the match officials.
The vastly-experienced Wayne Barnes of England will be in charge when the Champions Cup's two most decorated teams, Leinster and Stade Toulousain, go head-to-head in Dublin on Saturday 29 April.
Barnes's assistants will be his fellow countrymen, Luke Pearce and Adam Leal, while Stuart Terheege has been appointed as the match TMO.
The meeting of holders, Stade Rochelais, and the 2020 champions, the Exeter Chiefs, at the Matmut ATLANTIQUE in Bordeaux on Sunday 30 April will be refereed by South Africa's Jaco Peyper, who is making his debut in EPCR's elite tournament, with Andrew Brace of Ireland and Italy's Andrea Piardi running the line. The TMO will be Brian MacNeice, also of Ireland.
An all-French team of officials will be in charge of the first of the EPCR Challenge Cup semifinals on Saturday 29 April which sees the Scarlets taking on the Glasgow Warriors at Parc y Scarlets with Mathieu Raynal on the whistle, assisted by Pierre Brousset and Tual Trainini, with Eric Gauzins as TMO.
The following day, England's Karl Dickson will be in the middle when RC Toulon and Benetton meet at Stade Félix Mayol and he will have fellow countrymen, Matthew Carley and Christophe Ridley, as his assistants, with Tom Foley also of England appointed as TMO.
CHAMPIONS CUP SEMIFINALS
(Kick-off is local time)
Saturday, April 29
Leinster v Stade Toulousain
(Lansdowne Road, Dublin - Kick-off: 15.00)
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Assistant referees: Luke Pearce (England), Adam Leal (England)
TMO: Stuart Terheege (England)
Sunday, April 30
Stade Rochelais v Exeter Chiefs
(Matmut ATLANTIQUE, Bordeaux - Kick-off: 16.00)
Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Andrew Brace (Ireland), Andrea Piardi (Italy)
TMO: Brian MacNeice (Ireland)
CHALLENGE CUP SEMIFINALS
(Kick-offs local time)
Saturday, April 29
Scarlets v Glasgow Warriors
(Parc y Scarlets - Kick-off: 17.30)
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France)
Assistant referees: Pierre Brousset (France), Tual Trainini (France)
TMO: Eric Gauzins (France)
Sunday, April 30
Toulon v Benetton
(Stade Félix Mayol - Kick-off: 13.30)
Referee: Karl Dickson (England)
Assistant referees: Matthew Carley (England), Christophe Ridley (England)
TMO: Tom Foley (England)