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Brace And Kenny To Be Involved In EPCR Challenge Cup Final

IRFU High Performance referee Andrew Brace took charge of the recent Investec Champions Cup semi-final between Toulouse and Harlequins ©INPHO/Gary Carr

Leinster’s Investec Champions Cup final showdown with Toulouse will be refereed by England’s Matthew Carley, following today’s confirmation of the match officials for the London 2024 finals weekend.

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Carley will referee his first EPCR final when he takes charge of the heavyweight clash between Leinster and Toulouse at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday week (May 25). Ticket information is available here.

Meanwhile, the IRFU’s Andrew Brace and Ed Kenny will be involved in the EPCR Challenge Cup final between Gloucester and the Hollywoodbets Sharks on the previous night.

Brace will be an assistant referee, supporting France’s Mathieu Raynal, and Kenny is the appointed citing commissioner. The Irish pair had the same roles for the 2022 EPCR Challenge Cup final between Lyon and Toulon in Marseille.

IRFU High Performance referee Brace is no stranger to the Challenge Cup’s biggest days, having refereed the 2020 and 2021 deciders in Aix-en-Provence and at Twickenham Stadium respectively.

The match officials were appointed for next week’s games, at the state-of-the-art London venue, by a selection committee chaired by EPCR’s Head of Match Officials, Tony Spreadbury.

RFU match official Carley had the whistle for Leinster’s opening pool win away to La Rochelle back in December, and also took charge of Ireland’s Six Nations title-winning victory over Scotland in March.

EPCR CHALLENGE CUP FINAL:

Friday, May 24 –

GLOUCESTER v HOLLYWOODBETS SHARKS, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, 8pm

Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France); Assistant Referees: Andrew Brace (Ireland), Pierre Brousset (France); Television Match Official: Eric Gauzins (France); Citing Commissioner: Ed Kenny (Ireland)

INVESTEC CHAMPIONS CUP FINAL:

Saturday, May 25 –

LEINSTER v TOULOUSE, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, 2.45pm

Referee: Matthew Carley (England); Assistant Referees: Karl Dickson (England), Andrea Piardi (Italy); Television Match Official: Ian Tempest (England); Citing Commissioner: Stefano Marrama (Italy)