ERC NAME REFEREES FOR HEINEKEN CUP QUARTER-FINALS
England's World Cup semi-final referee Chris White will take his Heineken Cup tally to 26 matches when he takes charge of the first Heineken Cup quarter-final of the 2003/04 knock-out phase.
Only Irish international referee Dave McHugh has controlled more Heineken Cup ties in the tournament's nine year history, with 29.
White will help kick-off the run-in to the ninth Heineken Cup title when he controls the sell-out match between Wales' sole representatives in the last eight, Llanelli Scarlets, and last season's beaten quarter-finalists, Biarritz Olympique, at Stradey Park on Friday, 9 April (kick-off 7.45pm local time).
Ireland's Alain Rolland will make a return to the scene of his first Heineken Cup match the following day (Saturday, 10 April, kick-off 4.00pm local time) when he blows the Pool 2 re-match between reigning champions Toulouse and Edinburgh Rugby.
That game will be played at the 36,000 capacity Le Stadium in the centre of Toulouse where Rolland made his debut in the tournament as a referee in 2000 when the home town team met Saracens in a Pool match.
It will be Rolland's first game in the knock-out phase of the Heineken Cup after 12 Pool games in almost four years. Toulouse and Edinburgh took the top two places in their Pool after beating each other in their home matches, but the champions took top spot in the end to set up an intriguing decider in what will be Edinburgh's first show in the last eight.
The other Saturday fixture will be at a packed Thomond Park in Limerick, when two-times finalists Munster have home advantage over the French champions Stade Francais Paris (kick-off 5.00pm local time).
Welsh referee Nigel Williams will find himself in charge of Munster at the quarter-final stage for the second season in a row having made his debut in the knock-out phase in last season's showdown at Welford Road in the last eight between Leicester Tigers and the Irishmen.
Munster won that game and there was another away win in Williams' other knock-out game last season when Perpignan triumphed at Lansdowne Road over Leinster Lions. It will be Williams' 19th Heineken Cup assignment.
The final Heineken Cup quarter-final, the all English affair between London Wasps and Gloucester at The Causeway Stadium, High Wycombe on Sunday, 11 April (kick-off 3.00pm local time) will be controlled by leading French official Joel Jutge.
A veteran of 22 Heineken Cup ties, he was in charge of the 2002 final
between Leicester Tigers and Munster at the Millennium Stadium and was
also in the middle when Gloucester beat Cardiff in the 2001
quarter-final. It will be his fourth fixture in the knock-out phase of
the tournament.
HEINEKEN CUP QUARTER-FINAL REFEREE APPOINTMENTS
(All kick-off times are LOCAL times)
FRIDAY, 9 APRIL - Kick-Off 7.45pm, Stradey Park
Llanelli Scarlets v Biarritz Olympique - Chris White (England)
Sky / Sport +
SATURDAY, 10 APRIL - Kick-Off 4.00pm, Le Stadium
Toulouse v Edinburgh Rugby - Alain Rolland (Ireland)
FR2 / Sky
SATURDAY, 10 APRIL - Kick-Off 5.00pm, Thomond Park
Munster v Stade Francais Paris - Nigel Williams (Wales) RTE / Sky /
Sport +
SUNDAY, 11 APRIL - Kick-Off 3.00pm, The Causeway Stadium
London Wasps v Gloucester - Joel Jutge (France)
Sky / Sport +
