There will be six Rugby World Cup officials on duty in the first round of the Heineken Cup when it kicks-off next week.
Just as the players who have returned from Australia will have little time to rest, so France's Joel Jutge and Joel Dume, Wales' Nigel Williams and Nigel Whitehouse and Ireland's Alan Lewis and Donal Courtney will go straight back into the thick of the action.
Scotland's Rob Dickson will have the honour of getting the ball rolling in the ninth Heineken Cup campaign when he controls the game between the Celtic Warriors and Calvisano at the Brewery Field, Bridgend on Friday, 5 December.
That game kicks-off at 7.15pm, while 30 minutes later down the road the Llanelli Scarlets will face Northampton Saints in a repeat of the 2000 semi-final.
Joel Jutge will be in charge of that game, while Ireland's Alan Lewis will be in the middle when the 2001 Heineken Cup finalists, Stade Francais and Leicester Tigers, meet again at Stade Jean Bouin with the French champions seeking revenge for their defeat in Paris.
Referees have been appointed for the first two rounds of the tournament in December. Appointments for the final four Pool rounds in January will be made after the second round.
ROUND 1
FRIDAY 5 DECEMBER
Pool 4 Llanelli Scarlets v Northampton Saints Joel Jutge (F) 19.45 Sky
Pool 6 Celtic Warriors v Calvisano Rob Dickson (S) 19.15
SATURDAY 6 DECEMBER
Pool 1 Stade Francais v Leicester Tigers Alan Lewis (I) 16.00 FR2 / Sky
Pool 3 Sale Sharks v Cardiff Blues Joel Dume (F) 17.00 Sky
Leinster Lions v Biarritz Olympique Dave Pearson (E) 15.00 RTE/Sky/Sport+
Pool 4 Agen v The Borders Giulio De Santis (It) 19.30
Pool 5 Bourgoin v Munster Nigel Whitehouse (W) 18.00 Sport+
Benetton Treviso v Gloucester Hugh Watkins (W) 14.30
SUNDAY 7 DECEMBER
Pool 1 Gwent Dragons v Ulster Roy Maybank (E) 14.30
Pool 2 Leeds Tykes v N-S Ospreys Gregg Davies (S) 14.30
Edinburgh Rugby v Toulouse Nigel Williams (W) 13.00 Sky / FR3
Pool 6 London Wasps v Perpignan Donal Courtney (I) 15.00 Sky / Sport+
ROUND 2
FRIDAY 12 DECEMBER
Pool 1 Ulster v Stade Francais Nigel Williams (W) 19.30
Pool 2 N-S Ospreys v Edinburgh Rugby David Pearson (E) 19.30
Toulouse v Leeds Tykes Nigel Owens (W) 19.30 Sport+
Pool 3 Cardiff Blues v Leinster Lions Joel Jutge (F) 19.45 Sky
SATURDAY 13 DECEMBER
Pool 3 Biarritz Olympique v Sale Sharks Donal Courtney (I) 18.30
Pool 4 Northampton Saints v Agen Nigel Whitehouse (W) 15.00
Pool 5 Munster v Benetton Treviso Rob Dickson (S) 17.00 RTE / Sky
Gloucester v Bourgoin Alan Lewis (I) 15.00
Pool 6 Calvisano v London Wasps Hugh Watkins (W) 14.30
Perpignan v Celtic Warriors Gregg Davies (S) 16.00 FR2 / Sky
SUNDAY 14 DECEMBER
Pool 1 Leicester Tigers v Gwent Dragons Joel Dume (F) 15.00 Sky
Pool 4 The Borders v Llanelli Scarlets Roy Maybank (E) 13.00 Sky
