Donal Courtney To Referee Parker Pen Shield Final

Irishman Donal Courtney will referee the Parker Pen Shield final between Caerphilly and Castres Olympique at the Madejski Stadium, (kick-off 1.00 pm)

Irishman Donal Courtney will referee the Parker Pen Shield final between Caerphilly and Castres Olympique at the Madejski Stadium, (kick-off 1.00 pm) on Sunday, 25th May. The Shield final will be played ahead of the Parker Pen Challenge Cup final between Bath Rugby and London Wasps (kick-off 3.45 pm). That game will be handled by top Welsh referee Nigel Williams.

Chris White will referee the Heineken Cupfinal between Perpignan and Toulouse at Lansdowne Road, Dublin, on 24 May (kick-off 3.00 pm).

The 39-year-old former junior school teacher from Cheltenham, who was in charge of the semi-final between Toulouse and Munster, is the first English official to referee a Heineken Cup final.

White had to retire as a player at 25 with a shoulder injury and is now among the game’s leading and most respected officials. He has been a full time referee since 1999 and a member of the IRB’s elite panel.

White, who has been in charge of 18 full internationals, said:
“I am absolutely delighted with the appointment – which is both an honour and responsibility. I have refereed a Heineken Cup semi-final for the past three years and to get the final is marvellous.”

While he is the first English referee to take charge of a Heineken Cup final, he has controlled a previous European final, the European Shield clash between Pau and Castres Olympique in 2000.