Referees for first two HC rounds
The European Rugby Cup has announced the referee for the first two rounds of the Heineken Cup, starting on 9 October 2009.
James Jones of Wales will blow the whistle to start the 2009-10 Heineken Cup, half an hour before the other two matches on the same evening. There are 78 matches before the competition ends on 22 May 2010.
Alan Rolland will become the second referee to referee 50 Heineken Cup matches. His compatriot Alan Lewis was the first to get to 50 and will be refereeing his 61st when Harlequins come to Cardiff.
Nominations are proposed from the panel of referees by the ERC match officials performance manager Donal Courtney to the ERC Match Officials Sub Committee made up of referee managers from the six Unions of the participating teams, who review and confirm the final appointments.
Round 1
Friday, 9 October
Pool 2: Gloucester vs Newport Gwent Dragons
Referee: Peter Fitzgibbon (Ireland)
Pool 4: Ulster vs Bath
Referee: James Jones (Wales)
Pool 6: Leinster vs London Irish
Referee: Romain Poite (France)
Saturday, 10 October
Pool 1: Benetton Treviso vs Perpignan
Referee: Andrew Small (England)
Pool 1: Northampton Saints vs Munster
Referee: Christophe Berdos (France)
Pool 2: Glasgow Warriors vs Biarritz Olympique
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Pool 3: Clermont Auvergne vs Viadana
Referee: Peter Allan (Scotland)
Pool 4: Stade Français vs Edinburgh
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Pool 5: Cardiff Blues vs Harlequins
Referee: Alan Lewis (Ireland)
Pool 6: Scarlets vs Brive
Referee: David Pearson (England)
Sunday, 11 October
Pool 3: Leicester Tigers vs Ospreys
Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland)
Pool 5: Toulouse vs Sale Sharks
Referee: George Clancy (Ireland)
Round 2
Friday, 16 October
Pool 1: Perpignan vs Northampton Saints
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Pool 2: Newport Gwent Dragons vs Glasgow Warriors
Referee: Romain Poite (France)
Pool 5: Sale Sharks vs Cardiff Blues
Referee: Christophe Berdos (France)
Saturday, 17 October
Pool 1: Munster vs Benetton Treviso
Referee: Jérôme Garces (France)
Pool 2: Biarritz Olympique vs Gloucester
Referee: Alan Lewis (Ireland)
Pool 3: Viadana vs Leicester Tigers
Referee: Pascal Gauzere (France)
Pool 4: Edinburgh vs Ulster
Referee: David Pearson (England)
Pool 5: Harlequins vs Toulouse
Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland)
Pool 6: London Irish vs Scarlets
Referee: Peter Fitzgibbon (Ireland)
Pool 6: Brive vs Leinster
Referee: James Jones (Wales)
Sunday, 18 October
Pool 3: Ospreys vs Clermont Auvergne
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Pool 4: Bath vs Stade Français
Referee: George Clancy (Ireland)
