European Rugby Cup, the organisers of the Heineken Cup and the Amlin Challenge Cup have announced the referees for the quarterfinals. The appointments of referees and their assistants are made by the ERC Match Officials Sub Committee in conjunction with the referee managers in each Union. Form in the competition is taken into account.
The assistant referees are also appointed on the basis of individual performances rather than, as in the pools, for the same nationality as the referee.
As one of the most anticipated weekends of the European season approaches, Nigel Owens of Wales will get the Heineken Cup quarter-finals underway when he takes charge of the biggest club match in Scottish history which pits Edinburgh against four-time champions Toulouse at Murrayfield, a match for which 25 000 tickets have been sold a fortnight before the 7 April kick-off.
The other referees appointed to Heineken Cup quarters are Dave Pearson, Romain Poite and Alain Rolland.
In the Amlin Challenge Cup quarterfinals 38-year-old John Lacey, who played wing and fullback for Munster in his playing days, will take charge of his first European club knockout game when the 2003 champions, London Wasps, take on Biarritz at Adams Park.
The other Amlin Challenge Cup quarterfinal referees are Peter Fitzgibbon, George Clancy and Wayne Barnes.
Of the eight referees appointed, four are Irish, two English and one each French and Welsh.
Heineken Cup Quarterfinals
Saturday, 7 April
Edinburgh Rugby vs Toulouse at Murrayfield
Referee: Nigel Owens Wales)
Assistant referees: Andrew Small (England), Stuart Terheege (England)
Leinster Rugby vs Cardiff Blues at Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Referee: Dave Pearson (England)
Assistant referees: Pascal Gauzere (France), David Changleng (Scotland)
Sunday, 8 April
Munster Rugby vs Ulster Rugby at Thomond Park
Referee: Romain Poite (France)
Assistant referees: Jérôme Garces (France), Matthieu Raynal (France)
Saracens vs Clermont Auvergne at Vicarage Road
Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Neil Paterson (Scotland), Simon McDowell (Ireland)
Amlin Challenge Cup Quarterfinals
Thursday, 5 April
Stade Français Paris vs Exeter Chiefs at Stade Charlety
Referee: Peter Fitzgibbon (Ireland)
Assistant referee James Jones Wales), David Wilkinson (Ireland)
Friday, 6 April
Toulon vs Harlequins at Stade Félix Mayol
Referee: George Clancy (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Dudley Phillips (Ireland), Carlo Damasco (Italy)
Saturday, 7 April
London Wasps vs Biarritz Olympique at Adams Park
Referee: John Lacey (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Peter Allan (Scotland), Leo Colgan (Ireland)
Sunday, 8 April
Brive vs Scarlets at Stadium Amédée Domenech
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Assistant referees: Greg Garner (England), Paul Dix (England)
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