Champions Cup refs revealed: Piardi's old rival handed opening night honour

The former playing rival and teammate of Italy’s leading referee, Andrea Piardi, has been handed the honour of refereeing the first Investec Champions Cup tie of the 2026/27 season.

Gianluca Gnecchi, who made his Champions Cup debut in the middle two years ago, will blow the first whistle in this year’s competition after being appointed for curtain-raiser between Gloucester and reigning champions Bordeaux-Begles at Kingsholm on Friday, 16 October.

Gnecchi used to regularly come up against his countryman and fellow Brecian Piardi during their respective playing careers before officiating became a priority, he explained in a recent interview on the World Rugby website, and now the two are rubbing shoulders at the top end of the officiating world.

“Brescia had two rugby teams and we played against each other for a long, long time until the clubs merged when we were 18 years old and we started to become team-mates. I’d been refereeing two years by then and I brought him into the group when he expressed an interest in refereeing. It is because of me he started!” said Gnecchi.

“Because of his dedication and focus, he developed really quickly, and seeing him go so well and getting big appointments made me think, ‘why can’t I do the same?’ It was very inspirational for me.”

While Piardi has now reffed some of the biggest games around, including a British and Irish Lions Test in 2025 and the recent Australia vs South Africa clash in Perth, 34-year-old Gnecchi is also making steady progress up the refereeing ladder and has, to date, reffed 10 senior internationals.

Piardi, meanwhile, will be on hand to oversee matters at The Rec on the opening Saturday, as Bath host EPCR Challenge Cup holders and TOP 14 finalists Montpellier Hérault Rugby in another headline clash.

Following his appointment to the Investec Champions Cup Final last season, Karl Dickson will referee Munster’s home tie against Racing 92 at Thomond Park.

Dickson’s countryman Matthew Carley, who refereed the EPCR Challenge Cup Final last season, will be in charge as URC champions and last season’s Champions Cup runners-up Leinster, begin their quest for a fifth title away to ASM Clermont Auvergne, while a third Englishman, Christophe Ridley has been assigned to Bulls vs Stade Francais Paris.

As for the remainder of Saturday’s matches, Craig Evans will oversee Sale Sharks vs Glagow Warriors, Scotland’s Sam Grove-White has been given La Rochelle vs Lions and Frenchmen Kevin Bralley and Pierre Brousset will run the rule over the Stormers vs Bristol and Connacht vs Saracens ties, respectively.

On Sunday 18 October, Hollie Davidson will be the referee as TOP 14 champions and six-time Champions Cup winners Toulouse launch their campaign at home to former champions Exeter Chiefs.

The opening weekend concludes at DPD Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens, where Gallagher PREM champions Northampton Saints are up against Cardiff, with France’s Jérémy Rozier as the appointed referee.

In the Challenge Cup, South Africa’s Hanru van Rooyen is set to make his EPCR debut as Dragons RFC welcome Perpignan to Rodney Parade in the opening match of trhe second-tier competition.

Click HERE for the full list of Round 1 Champions Cup officials