George Clancy blew the whistle to start the 2011 Rugby World Cup. He will also blow the whistle to start the 2011-12 Heineken Cup, Europe's club championship. The European Rugby Cup has announced the referees for the first two rounds of the 17th Heineken Cup.

The first match will be at Stade Yves du Manoir in Colombes, Paris, between Racing-Métro and Cardiff Blues.

Other referees who were at the World Cup will also be in action - Alain Rolland, Dave Pearson, Romain Poite, Nigel Owens and Wayne Barnes.

Referees

Round 1

Racing-Métro 92 vs Cardiff Blues
Referee: George Clancy (Ireland)

Harlequins vs Connacht
Referee: Jérôme Garces (France)

Scarlets vs Castres Olympique
Referee: Greg Garner (England)

Munster vs Northampton Saints
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)

London Irish vs Edinburgh
Referee: Romain Poite (France)

Montpellier vs Leinster at Stade de la Mosson
Referee: Dave Pearson (England)

Aironi vs Leicester Tigers
Referee: Neil Paterson (Scotland)

Ulster vs Clermont Auvergne
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)

Ospreys vs Biarritz Olympique
Referee: Andrew Small (England)

Glasgow Warriors vs Bath
Referee: Christophe Berdos (France)

Saracens vs Benetton Treviso
Referee: John Lacey (Ireland)

Toulouse vs Gloucester
Referee: Peter Fitzgibbon (Ireland)

Round 2

Northampton Saints vs Scarlets
Referee: Peter Fitzgibbon (Ireland)

Cardiff Blues vs London Irish
Referee: Jérôme Garces (France)

Edinburgh vs Racing-Métro 92
Referee: John Lacey (Ireland)

Clermont Auvergne vs Aironi
Referee: JP Doyle (England)

Castres Olympique vs Munster
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)

Leicester Tigers vs Ulster
Referee: Romain Poite (France)

Biarritz Olympique vs Saracens
Referee: George Clancy (Ireland)

Benetton Treviso vs Ospreys
Referee: Pascal Gauzere (France)

Gloucester vs Harlequins
Referee: Christophe Berdos (France)

Connacht vs Toulouse
Referee: Greg Garner (England)

Leinster vs Glasgow Warriors
Referee: Andrew Small (England)

Bath vs Montpellier
Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland)