Poite Starts Heineken Cup
When Romain Poite of France blows his whistle for the first time on Friday, 12 October 2018, he will start the European Professional Rugby Clubs’ Heineken Champions Cup for the season 2018-19.
That match will be between the reigning champions Leinster at Wasps at the RDS Arena in Dublin.
The EPRC has announced the referees for the first two rounds of the Heineken Champions Cup and the Challenge Cup, 40 referees in all.
The appointments are done by an EPRC selection committee, chaired by former Test referee Joël Jutge, the EPRC’s head of match officials.
Lyon, new to the Heineken Cup, will start their campaign against Cardiff Blues at their Matmut Stadium de Gerland on Sunday, 14 October, with JP Doyle to referee.
There are teams from all the Six Nations countries plus a team each from Russia and Romania
The Challenge Cup will also kick off on 12 October 2018 but in Perpignan where Perpignan play Sale Shards at Stade Aimé Giral. There it will be the whistle of Ireland’s Joy Neville that will set things in motion.
Referees for Round 1
Champions Cup
Leinster vs Wasps
Referee: Romain Poite (France)
Bath vs Toulouse
Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland)
Montpellier vs Edinburgh
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Exeter Chiefs vs Munster
Referee: Jérôme Garcès (France)
Scarlets vs Racing 92
Referee: Matthew Carley (England)
Ulster vs Leicester Tigers
Referee: Pascal Gaüzère (France)
Gloucester vs Castres
Referee: Marius Mitrea (Italy)
Lyon vs Cardiff Blues
Referee: JP Doyle (England)
Toulon vs Newcastle Falcons
Referee: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)
Glasgow Warriors vs Saracens
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France)
Challenge Cup
Perpignan vs Sale Sharks
Referee: Joy Neville (Ireland)
Enisei-STM vs La Rochelle
Referee: Christopher Ridley (England)
Timisoara Saracens vs Dragons
Referee: Pierre Brousset (France)
Benetton vs Grenoble
Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys (England)
Ospreys vs Pau
Referee: Tom Foley (England)
Northampton Saints vs Clermont Auvergne
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Harlequins vs Agen
Referee: Ian Davies (Wales)
Bristol Bears vs Zebre
Referee: Frank Murphy (Ireland)
Connacht vs Bordeaux-Bègles
Referee: Mike Adamson (Scotland)
Stade Français vs Worcester Warriors
Referee: Dan Jones (Wales)
Referees for Round 2
Champions Cup
Leicester Tigers vs Scarlets
Referee: Romain Poite (France)
Munster vs Gloucester
Referee: Alexandre Ruiz (France)
Castres vs Exeter Chiefs
Referee: John Lacey (Ireland)
Edinburgh vs Toulon
Referee: JP Doyle (England)
Wasps vs Bath
Referee: Jérôme Garcès (France)
Saracens vs Lyon
Referee: George Clancy (Ireland)
Racing vs Ulster
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Newcastle Falcons vs Montpellier
Referee: Mike Adamson (Scotland)
Toulouse vs Leinster Rugby
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Cardiff Blues vs Glasgow Warriors
Referee: Luke Pearce (England)
Challenge Cup
Agen vs Benetton
Referee: Karl Dickson (England)
La Rochelle vs Enisei-STM
Referee: Vlad Iordachescu (Romania)
Dragons vs Northampton Saints
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France)
Pau vs Stade Français
Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys (England)
Zebre vs Bristol Bears
Referee: Ludovic Cayre (France)
Worcester Warriors vs Ospreys
Referee: Pierre Brousset (France)
Clermont Auvergne vs Timisoara Saracens
Referee: Ben Blain (Scotland)
Sale Sharks vs Connacht
Referee: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)
Bordeaux-Bègles vs Perpignan
Referee: Tom Foley (England)
Grenoble vs Harlequins
Referee: Sean Gallagher (Ireland)
