Hurricanes v Crusaders: Craig Joubert
Craig Joubert will take charge of the New Zealand Super Rugby derby between the Hurricanes and the Crusaders in Wellington.
Three teams have a bye in that tournament this weekend but in the northern hemisphere there's a full round of matches in the Pro12 as well as the Aviva Premiership.
Super Rugby, Week 9
Highlanders vs Blues in Dunedin
Referee: Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Mike Fraser (New Zealand), Kane McBride (New Zealand)
Television match official: Vinny Munro (New Zealand)
Reds vs Stormers in Brisbane
Referee: Steve Walsh (Australia)
Assistant referees: Angus Gardner (Australia), Rohan Hoffman (Australia)
Television match official: Steve Lesczcynski (Australia)
Hurricanes vs Crusaders in Wellington
Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Glen Jackson (New Zealand), Mike Fraser (New Zealand)
Television match official: Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand)
Waratahs vs Rebels in Sydney
Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa)
Assistant referees: James Leckie (Australia), Francisco Pastrana (Argentina)
Television match official: Matt Goddard (Australia)
Sharks vs Chiefs in Durban
Referee: Garratt Williamson (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Keith Brown (New Zealand), Reuben Rossouw (South Africa)
Television match official: Shaun Veldsman (South Africa)
Bulls vs Brumbies in Pretoria
Referee: Marius Jonker (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Lourens van der Merwe (South Africa) , Rasta Rashivenga (South Africa)
Television match official: Johann Meuwesen (South Africa)
Pro 12
Ulster vs Leinster at Ravenhill
Referee: John Lacey (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Peter Fitzgibbon (Ireland), Ollie Hodges (Ireland)
Television match official: Peter Ferguson (Ireland)
Connacht vs Aironi at Sportsground
Referee: Ian Davies (Wales)
Assistant referees: Simon McDowell (Ireland), Stuart Gaffikin (Ireland)
Television match official: Jude Quinn (Ireland)
Scarlets vs Munster
Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Gwyn Morris (Wales), David Jones (Wales)
Television match official: Nigel Whitehouse (Wales)
Blues vs Edinburgh
Referee: Dudley Phillips (Ireland)
Assistant referees: James Jones (Wales), Rhys Thomas (Wales)
Television match official: Paul Adams (Wales)
Ospreys vs Newport Gwent Dragons
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant referees: Neil Hennessy (Wales), Wayne Davies (Wales)
Television match official: Gareth Simmonds (Wales)
Benetton Treviso vs Glasgow Warriors at Stadio Monigo
Referee: Leighton Hodges (Wales)
Assistant referees: Alan Falzone (Italy), Claudio Blessano (Italy)
Television match official: Mauro Dordolo (Italy)
Aviva Premiership
Newcastle Falcons vs Saracens at Kingston Park
Referee: JP Doyle
Assistant referees: Robin Goodliffe, Stuart Terheege
Television match official: Trevor Fisher
Bath vs London Wasps at Recreation Ground
Referee: David Pearson
Assistant referees: Gareth Copsey, Paul Burton
Television match official: Ed Morrison
Gloucester vs Sale Sharks at Kingsholm
Referee: David Rose
Assistant referees: Peter Huckle, Andrew Pearce
Worcester Warriors vs London Irish at Sixways
Referee: Tim Wigglesworth
Assistant referees: Alan Hughes, Don Helme
Television match official: David Matthews
Harlequins vs Leicester Tigers at Twickenham Stoop
Referee: Wayne Barnes
Assistant referees: Greg Garner, Roy Maybank
Television match official: David Grashoff
Exeter Chiefs vs Northampton Saints at Sandy Park
Referee: Andrew Small
Assistant referees: Ashley Rowden, Paul Dix
Television match official: Geoff Warren
Comments
Ramage says...
The latest appointments to Super rugby are interesting and give an insight into the current panels thinking. Taking on board they have an elite panel and a panel underneath I make the following observations.
The first and obvious one is that we are into Week 9 and we still have to see the two new Australian referees take up a starting place. This despite the fact we have had many of the Australian teams playing each other.
Secondly the only other truly Australian referee Ian Smith who has started games has had very sparse appointments.Is he too on the outer because of poor performances and due to follow Pearce, Leckie and Marks out the door?
The appointment of Garret Williamson to referee the Sharks vs Chiefs match this weekend is sure to bring the usual cheating comments from that usual small group of saffa posters who believe and repeat ad nauseum that NZ referees are cheats. However more interesting is that another NZ referee Keith Brown has also been sent on that tour. Whilst Williamson has been given two games Brown has yet to receive one and since the criticism by Lyndon Bray of Brown he has refereed very few games since. Is he too on the decline.
Joubert will be refereeing a NZ derby and Kaplan an Australian derby so no doubt any Kiwi or OZ whinger will be hard pressed to claim any kind of bias in these two games. unless it is Kearns from Foxtel who always points out that games Kaplan has refereed the Waratahs are well down on wins. That leaves Bryce Lawrence in the Blues Highlanders game who no doubt will get some stick but as it is an all NZ affair then comments from his detractors will be on the low side.
That only leaves Williamson and Jonker to take the stick in their two games as being the ref from the same country as one of the teams. Lets hope fans can stick to the game and realise that no referee goes out with the idea of fixing the game.
Posted 06:13 18th April 2012