Retiring Rolland gets Heineken final

Editor

Irish referee Alain Rolland, retiring from officiating at the end of the season, will take charge of the Heineken Cup Final.

Irish referee Alain Rolland, retiring from officiating at the end of the season, will take charge of the Heineken Cup Final.

The ex-Leinster and Ireland scrum-half referees this fixture for the third time as Saracens meet Toulon on May 24th in Cardiff, having taken the whistle in 2013 and 2004.

The Cardiff 2014 finals match official appointments were announced on Saturday following a meeting of the ERC Match Officials sub-committee.

The meeting reviewed match official performances across all relevant tournaments in conjunction with feedback from the referee managers in each Union and from club coaching staff.

Rolland refereed the 2004 Heineken Cup final between London Wasps and Toulouse as well as last season's decider between Toulon and Clermont Auvergne at the Aviva Stadium.

Saturday, May 24 will mark the end of the Dubliner's distinguished refereeing career in European tournaments. His assistant referees for the game in the Welsh capital will be Nigel Owens (Wales) and George Clancy (Ireland).

Meanwhile, France's Jerome Garces has been appointed as referee for the Amlin Challenge Cup final between Bath and Northampton Saints at Cardiff Arms Park on Friday, May 23.

The Challenge Cup final will be Garces' 40th European fixture and he will be assisted by fellow Frenchmen Romain Poite and Pascal Gauzere.

Heineken Cup Final
Referee: Alain Rolland (Ire)
Assistant referees: Nigel Owens (Wal), George Clancy (Ire)
TMO: Gareth Simmonds (Wal)

Challenge Cup Final
Referee: Jerome Garces (Fra)
Assistant referees: Romain Poite, Pascal Gauzere (both Fra)
TMO: Eric Gauzins (Fra)