Irish Referees Set For Busy European Cup Schedule In December

Irish referees will take charge of eight matches across the middle rounds of the two European tournaments, with the Limerick-based Andrew Brace appointed to two games in France – Racing 92 v Leicester Tigers and Montpellier v Toulon.

Fresh from refereeing the final international of his career a week earlier, John Lacey will referee Wasps v Toulouse in round 3 of the Heineken Champions Cup, while fellow IRFU international referee George Clancy will have the whistle for the return match between Leicester and Racing in the fourth round.

Like Brace, Frank Murphy has been appointed to two upcoming European matches in France, taking charge of Pau v Worcester Warriors and La Rochelle v Bristol Bears in the Challenge Cup. Joy Neville is bound for Timisoara in Romania to referee the local Saracens club’s fourth round clash with Northampton Saints on Saturday, December 15.

The same day will see Meath man Sean Gallagher in Salford to referee Sale Sharks v Bordeaux-Begles. The provinces have also learned of their appointed referees, including England’s Wayne Barnes, the man in the middle for Ireland’s showdown with New Zealand, who will be on duty for Munster’s pre-Christmas trip to Castres Olympique.

HEINEKEN CHAMPIONS CUP – REFEREE APPOINTMENTS:

ROUND 3:

Friday, December 7 –

Edinburgh v Newcastle Falcons – Referee: Marius Mitrea (Italy)
Scarlets v ULSTER – Referee: Alexandre Ruiz (France)

Saturday, December 8 –

Exeter Chiefs v Gloucester – Referee: Pascal Gauzere (France)
Lyon v Glasgow Warriors – Referee: Matthew Carley (England)
Bath v LEINSTER – Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France)
Toulon v Montpellier – Referee: Luke Pearce (England)
Wasps v Toulouse – Referee: John Lacey (Ireland)

Sunday, December 9 –

MUNSTER v Castres Olympique – Referee: JP Doyle (England)
Saracens v Cardiff Blues – Referee: Romain Poite (France)
Racing 92 v Leicester Tigers – Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland)

ROUND 4:

Friday, December 14 –

Gloucester v Exeter Chiefs – Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France)
ULSTER v Scarlets – Referee: Luke Pearce (England)

Saturday, December 15 –

Glasgow Warriors v Lyon – Referee: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)
Cardiff Blues v Saracens – Referee: Jerome Garces (France)
Toulouse v Wasps – Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Castres Olympique v MUNSTER – Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
LEINSTER v Bath – Referee: Pascal Gauzere (France)

Sunday, December 16 –

Leicester Tigers v Racing 92 – Referee: George Clancy (Ireland)
Montpellier v Toulon – Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland)
Newcastle Falcons v Edinburgh – Referee: Alexandre Ruiz (France)

EUROPEAN CHALLENGE CUP – REFEREE APPOINTMENTS:

ROUND 3:

Friday, December 7 –

Pau v Worcester Warriors – Referee: Frank Murphy (Ireland)
Grenoble v Agen – Referee: Vlad Iordachescu (Romania)

Saturday, December 8 –

Enisei-STM v Zebre – Referee: Ian Tempest (England)
Timisoara Saracens v Clermont Auvergne – Referee: Craig Evans (Wales)
Benetton Rugby v Harlequins – Referee: Dan Jones (Wales)
Northampton Saints v Dragons – Referee: Thomas Charabas (France)
CONNACHT v Perpignan – Referee: Karl Dickson (England)
Ospreys v Stade Francais – Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys (England)
Bristol Bears v La Rochelle – Referee: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)
Bordeaux-Begles v Sale Sharks – Referee: Ian Davies (Wales)

ROUND 4:

Friday, December 14 –

Agen v Grenoble – Referee: Craig Evans (Wales)
Perpignan v CONNACHT – Referee: Ian Tempest (England)
Stade Francais v Ospreys – Referee: Mike Adamson (Scotland)

Saturday, December 15 –

Timisoara Saracens v Northampton Saints – Referee: Joy Neville (Ireland)
Clermont Auvergne v Dragons – Referee: Tom Foley (England)
Harlequins v Benetton Rugby – Referee: Pierre Brousset (France)
Zebre v Enisei-STM – Referee: Ben Blain (Scotland)
Worcester Warriors v Pau – Referee: Ian Davies (Wales)
Sale Sharks v Bordeaux-Begles – Referee: Sean Gallagher (Ireland)
La Rochelle v Bristol Bears – Referee: Frank Murphy (Ireland)

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