Referees to 8 June
Big Tests are with us again as the Northern Hemisphere heads south, no doubt with teams labelled weakened.
In the north they are referred to as summer Tests but they will soon realise that they will be in the middle of winter. Wouldn’t midyear Tests be a more sensible label.
Some of the internationals are competitions such as the Pacific Nations Cup, the Churchill Cup and, in Wales, the inaugural World Junior Championship for Under-20 teams.
Apart from Tests, there are some tough matches.
In Italy Treviso and Calvisano play the Final of the Super 10. Carlo Damasco will referee his secoond final.
In France Pro D2 plays its final round which will decide which team accompanies Toulon into the Top 14 next year. Limoges and Blagnac will be relegated, their places taken by Colomiers and Bourg-en-Bresse.
The Top 14 plays its second last round with some tough decisions to be made – the fourth semifinalist and the qualifiers for the Heineken Cup. The decision on who accompanies Auch into Pro D2 will depend on what is decided about Albi’s financial state.
In all of these hot spots there are referees and their assistants in action.
International
New Zealand vs Ireland in Wellington
Referee: Chris White (England)
Touch judges: Nigel Owens (Wales), Matt Goddard (Australia)
Television match official: Christophe Berdos (France)
Assessor: Stuart Beissel (New Zealand)
South Africa vs Wales in Bloemfontein
Referee: Dave Pearson (England)
Touch judges: Lyndon Bray (New Zealand), Stuart Terheege (England)
Television match official: Graham Hughes (England)
Assessor: Patrick Robin (France)
Argentina vs Scotland in Argentina
Referee: Alan Lewis (Ireland)
Touch judges: Alain Rolland (Ireland), Cobus Wessels (South Africa)
Television match official: Shaun Veldsman (South Africa)
Assessor: Dennis Immelman (South Africa)
European Nations Cup
Division 3B
These are the last matches.
Norway vs Lithuania in Tonsberg
Referee: George Mossford (Finland)
Austria vs Hungary at Stade Hohe Warte in Vienna
Referee: Jean-Jacques Oberst (Luxembourg)
Pacific Nations Cup
Fiji vs Samoa at Churchill Park in Lautoka
Referee: Keith Brown (New Zealand)
New Zealand Maori vs Tonga t North Harbour Stadium in Albany
Referee: Paul Marks (Australia)
Japan vs Australia A in Fukuoka
Referee: Willie Roos (South Africa)
Churchill Cup
Scotland ‘A’ vs Canada at Twin Elm Rugby Park, Ottawa, Ontario
Referee: Rob Debney (England)
Touch judges: Simon McDowell (Ireland), Chris Henshall (USA)
USA vs Saxons
Refreree: Andrew McPherson (Scotland)
Touch judges: Federico Cuesta (Argentina), Newton (Canada)
Friendly
USA A vs English Counties in New York
Referee: Alan Gray (Canada)
Touch judges: Paul Bethe, Brad Kleiner
Namibia XV vs Western Province in Windhiek
Referee: JC Fortuin (South Africa)
Under-20
Junior World Championship
Match Day 1 – Friday 6 June 2008
New Zealand vs Tonga in Cardiff
Referee: James Bolabiu (Fiji)
Touch judges: Andrew McMenemy (Scotland), David Bodilly (Wales)
Assessor: Tappe Henning (IRB)
Argentina vs Ireland in Cardiff
Referee: Tim Hayes (Wales)
Touch judges: Andrew McMenemy (Scotland), David Bodilly (Wales)
Assessor: Tappe Henning (IRB)
South Africa vs USA in Wrexham
Referee: Taizo Hirabayashi (Japan)
Touch judges: James Leckie (Australia), Andrea Pasquin (Italy)
Assessor: Steve Hilditch (Ireland)
Samoa vs Scotland in Wrexham
Referee: James Jones (Wales)
Touch judges: James Leckie (Australia), Andrea Pasquin (Italy)
Assessor: Steve Hilditch (Ireland)
Australia vs Canada in Newport
Assessor: Phillip Bosch (South Africa)
Touch judges: David Wilkinson (Ireland), David Jones (Wales)
Assessor: Michel Lamoulie (France)
England vs Fiji in Newport
Referee: Peter Fitzgibbon (Ireland)
Touch judges: David Wilkinson (Ireland), David Jones (Wales)
Assessor: Michel Lamoulie (France)
France vs Japan in Swansea
Referee: Andrew Small (England)
Touch judges: Chris Pollock (New Zealand), Robin Goodliffe (England)
Assessor: Bob Francis (New Zealand)
Wales vs Italy in Swansea
Referee: Romain Poite (France)
Touch judges: Chris Pollock (New Zealand), Robin Goodliffe (England)
Assessor: Bob Francis (New Zealand)
Domestic
Australia
New South Wales
Tooheys New Cup Shute Shield
Sydney University vs Eastwood at University Oval No 1
Referee: Andrew Lees
Touch judges: Daniel Cheever, Anthony Moyes
Assessor: John McCarthy
France
Top 14
23ème journée
Perpignan vs Toulouse – postponed match
Referee: Jérôme Garces
25ème journée
Bayonne vs Clermont Auvergne
Referee: Philippe Bonhoure
Touch judges: Jean-Louis Fillon, Jean-Luc Gonzalez
Assessor: Jean-Marie Combe, Alain Fernandez
Television match official: Daniel Dartigeas
Brive vs Auch
Referee: Cédric Marchat
Touch judges: Jean-Paul Vermande, Denis Grenouillet
Assessor: Philippe De Miranda, Bernard Perez
Television match official: Vincent Azoulay
Castres vs Albi
Referee: Franck Maciello
Touch judges: Eric Briquet Campin, Maurice Duny
Assessor: Patrice Frantschi, Marc Desclaux
Television match official: Jean-Marie Piraveau
Stade Français vs Biarritz
Referee: Jérôme Garces
Touch judges: Jacques Laplace, Fernand Pereira
Assessor: Pierre Guichard, Jean Claude Legendre, Michel Debet
Television match official: Jean-Pierre Pellaprat
Toulouse vs Bourgoin
Referee: Didier Mene
Touch judges: Bernard Vals, Guy Pince
Assessor: Yves Peyrelongue, Marc Daroque
Television match official: Daniel Irazoqui
Dax vs Perpignan
Referee: Bruno Bessot
Touch judges: Didier Martinaud, Pierre Marie Masson
Assessor: Claude Rouve, Henri Lalanne
Television match official: Daniel Gillet
Montpellier vs Montauban
Referee: Pascal Gauzere
Touch judges: Gilbert Darrieutort, Didier Dussaut
Assessor: Jean-Yves Patingre, Patrick Thomas
Television match official: Jean-Claude Levrier
Pro D2 – 30ème journée
Béziers vs Aurillac
Referee: Christophe Labaune
Touch judges: Bruno Fiche, Régis Gabard
Assessor: Christian Cortey, Pierre Bertherat
Goal judges: Grégoire Silvan, Jérôme Favre
Blagnac vs Racing Metro 92
Referee: David Rosich
Touch judges: Jean-Christophe Clot, Bernard Dubos
Assessor: Jean-Paul Soules, Robert Antonin
Goal judges: Christian Coussan, Thierry Laur
Grenoble vs Oyonnax
Referee: Salem Attalah
Touch judges: Daniel Jeanguiot, Philippe Crucher
Assessor: Patrick Ducouret, Daniel Pruvot
Goal judges: Christian Poulalier, Thomas Bolle Reddat
Lyon vs Agen
Referee: Jean-Pierre Matheu
Touch judges: René Bordeneuve, Hervé Gilard
Assessor: Jean-Paul Goyard, Serge Marzullo
Goal judges: Bruno Gaudefrin, Jean-Pierre Vaquette
Toulon vs Mont-de-Marsan
Referee: Eric Soulan
Touch judges: Patrick Dellac, Gines Cerezuela
Assessor: Jean Izquierdo, Yves Bressy
Goal judges: Emmanuel Chenavier
Pau vs Narbonne
Referee: Laurent Cardona
Touch judges: Jean-Claude Bes, Stéphane Duberger
Assessor: Pascal Bouchet, Michel Lamoulie
Goal judges: Stéphane Boyer, Mourad Zitouni
La Rochelle vs Tarbes
Referee: José Bexiga
Touch judges: Francis Labat, Jean-Paul Benoit
Assessor: Roger Chiocchia, Francis Palmade
Goal judges: Jérôme Lamirand, Nicolas Lezin
Bordeaux vs Limoges
Referee: Nicolas Datas
Touch judges: Michel Couzier, Jean-Claude Abejean
Assessor: Pierre Beneuf, Jean Matheu
Goal judges: Sébastien Garat, Christophe Graviou
Italy
Super 10 Final
Calvisano vs Treviso
Referee: Carlo Damasco
Touch judges: Paolo Ventura, Stefano Rebuschi
Television match official: Giulio De Santis
Assessor: Claudio Giacomel .
South Africa
Friendly
South Western Districts v Blue Bulls at Outeniqua Park in George
Referee: Joey Salmans
Touch judges: Jaco Peyper, Eska Swart
Assessor: Thuso Mngqibisa
Griquas v Valke at the Eilandveld in Upington
Referee: Christie du Preez
Touch judges: Lourens van der Merwe, François de Bruin
Assessor: Banks Yantolo
