ERC tournaments referees – Rounds 1 and 2
Referees officiating in the 2012/13 European club tournaments will adhere to the law trials which are currently in operation in the Aviva Premiership, the Top 14 and the RaboDirect PRO12 competitions.
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The law trials include the new scrum engagement sequence of ‘Crouch-Touch-Set’, the five-seconds required to play a ball at a ruck following the referee’s call of ‘Use it’, and the allocation of 90 seconds for a conversion after a try has been awarded.
Television Match Officials (TMOs) appointed to Heineken Cup and Amlin Challenge Cup fixtures will operate under the existing IRB TMO protocol and not the protocol being trialled in the Aviva Premiership and in the Currie Cup in South Africa.
Referees have been asked to be particularly vigilant at the tackle area, to monitor offside and sealing off at breakdowns and kicks, to ensure a contest at the start of a maul and to manage the scrum engagement sequence.
These key points and others were emphasised by ERC Match Official Performance Manager, Donal Courtney, during a comprehensive series of workshops with coaching staff from all 44 clubs who are participating in this season’s ERC tournaments
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Following a meeting of the ERC Match Officials Committee, the referees for Rounds 1 and 2 of the Heineken Cup were announced today (Saturday, 29 September 2012).
Pascal Gauzere of France will be in charge when reigning champions Leinster Rugby get their title defence under way with a home game in Pool 5 against tournament newcomers, Exeter Chiefs, at the RDS on Saturday, 13 October.
The Round 1 clash of last season’s Amlin Challenge Cup winners, Biarritz Olympique, and Aviva Premiership champions, Harlequins, at the Twickenham Stoop will be refereed by Ireland’s George Clancy, while Greg Garner of England takes charge of Racing Metro 92 v Munster Rugby at the Stade de France.
Mathieu Raynal of France will referee his first Heineken Cup fixture when Glasgow Warriors host the 2012 beaten finalists, Ulster Rugby, at Scotstoun Stadium in Round 2, and Nigel Owens will be on duty for the Saracens-Racing Metro 92 game in Pool 1 at King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels on Saturday, 20 October.
Neil Hennessy of Wales will have the honour of refereeing the first game in the 2012/13 European club season when he takes charge of the Amlin Challenge Cup tie between Mont-de-Marsan and Gloucester Rugby at Stade Guy Boniface on Thursday, 11 October.
Ian Tempest (England), Leo Colgan (Ireland), Giuseppe Vivarini (Italy) and Ian Davies (Wales) will all be refereeing their first European matches in Round 1 of the Amlin Challenge Cup.
