Owens, Lacey for Europe's Finals
Owens will referee the Champions Cup Final. Lacey the Challenge Cup Final.
For Owens, who turns 44 in June, this will be the fifth time he will have refereed the Final. The previous ones were in 2008, 2009, 2012 and 2015. He also refereed two Challenge Cup Finals.
In fact none of the referees in the world can match his experience. Last year he refereed the World Cup Final and has now refereed the same number of Tests as Jonathan Kaplan, which is more Tests than anybody else in the history of the game. He has refereed 103 European club matches so far, which is more than any other referee.
Lacey, is far less experienced as a referee, coming as he did from playing top rugby for Munster and Ireland A. Two years younger than Owens, he was still playing when Owens was at the 2007 Rugby World Cup, but his progress through refereeing has been exceptionally fast – but then he is reputed to be the fastest referee on Rugby World's elite panel. Last year he refereed at the World Cup[ hosted by England.
Both Finals will be played at the Grand Stade de Lyon in southeast France, a ground which seats 59 000 spectators. Lyon is a great and noble city.
The match officials are chosen and appointed by a specially appointed European Professional Club Rugby committee, chaired by the former Test referee Donal Courtney of Ireland.
Match Officials for the Finals
2016 Challenge Cup Final at Grand Stade de Lyon
Harlequins vs Montpellier
Referee: John Lacey (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Marius Mitrea (Italy), Peter Fitzgibbon (Ireland)
Television Match Official: Jim Yuille (Scotland)
2016 Champions Cup Final at Grand Stade de Lyon
Racing 92 vs Saracens
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant referees: George Clancy (Ireland), Leighton Hodges (Wales)
Television Match Official: Simon McDowell (Ireland)
