EPCR statement: South African named as Champions Cup final referee
History will be made at Aviva Stadium in Dublin on May 20 when Jaco Peyper becomes the first South African to referee an EPCR final. The official last month made his debut in the tournament when he took charge of the semi-final in Bordeaux featuring La Rochelle, the defending champions, and Exeter.
Having since officiated at last weekend’s Stormers-Bulls URC quarter-final, he has now been appointed for the showpiece Champions Cup decider in Ireland that will be contested by La Rochelle and Leinster.
It will be Peyper’s first appointment at Aviva Stadium since he red-carded England’s Freddie Steward at that venue during the Guinness Six Nations finale versus Ireland in March, a sending-off that was later rescinded.
The appointment of Peyer for this latest La Rochelle versus Leinster knockout stage fixture contrasts with previous encounters between the teams when English officials refereed the 2022 final in Marseille and the 2021 semi-final in La Rochelle.
Wayne Barnes, who refereed last year’s Champions Cup final, has been appointed to take charge of the Challenge Cup decider featuring Glasgow Warriors and Toulon on May 19. Meanwhile, Matthew Carley, the 2021 La Rochelle-Leinster semi-final referee, won’t be involved on finals weekend on this occasion.
A statement read: “South Africa’s Jaco Peyper and Wayne Barnes of England will referee this season’s Heineken Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup finals respectively following the announcement of the match officials for the showpiece games who have been appointed by a selection committee chaired by the EPCR head of match officials, Tony Spreadbury.
“Peyper will make history by becoming the first South African official to referee an EPCR final when he takes charge of the Heineken Champions Cup decider between Leinster Rugby and holders Stade Rochelais, at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium on Saturday, May 20. His assistants will be the English duo, Karl Dickson and Christophe Ridley, with Tom Foley, also of England, as TMO and Beth Dickens (Scotland) as the match citing commissioner.
“The vastly experienced Barnes will be refereeing his sixth EPCR final following his appointment for the EPCR Challenge Cup clash of Glasgow Warriors v RC Toulon at the Aviva Stadium on Friday, May 19. He has previously taken charge of the 2012 and 2019 Challenge Cup deciding matches as well as three Heineken Champions Cup finals in 2010, 2018 and last season.
“Barnes will have Ireland’s Chris Busby and Craig Evans of Wales running the line with Ben Whitehouse (Wales) as TMO and Ciaran Scally (Ireland) as citing commissioner.
EPCR CHALLENGE CUP FINAL
Glasgow Warriors v RC Toulon
Friday, May 19 – Aviva Stadium, Dublin (20.00 local time)
Referee: Wayne Barnes (Eng); Assistant referees: Chris Busby (Ire), Craig Evans (Wal); TMO: Ben Whitehouse (Wal); Citing Commissioner: Ciaran Scally (Ire)
HEINEKEN CHAMPIONS CUP FINAL
Leinster Rugby v Stade Rochelais
Saturday, May 20 – Aviva Stadium, Dublin (16.45 local time)
Referee: Jaco Peyper (SA); Assistant referees: Karl Dickson (Eng), Christophe Ridley (Eng); TMO: Tom Foley (Eng); Citing Commissioner: Beth Dickens (Sco)
Comments on RugbyPass
We’re building a bridge but can't agree where the river is.
2 Go to commentsfirst no arms shoulder or helmet tackle into his rib cage is going to be so very painful even to watch. go back to RU mate.
2 Go to commentsBulls by 5. Plus another 50.
3 Go to commentsJohan Goosen avatar. Cute. Surely someone at RP knows how to do a google image search?
3 Go to commentsCan’t these games play a little earlier? Asking for a friend.
3 Go to commentsIt’s impressive that we can see huge stadiums with attendance in the 40 000 to 50 000 region. It shows how popular this competition is becoming. What is even more impressive is the massive growth in broadcast viewership. The URC is one of the two best leagues in the World, the other being the Top14.
7 Go to commentsChristie is not Sottish, like the majority of the Scotland team.
2 Go to commentsHold the phone, decline over-rated. Is it a one game, dead cat bounce or the real thing? Has the Penney dropped? Stay tuned.
45 Go to commentsTotally deserved win for the Crusaders Far smarter than the Chiefs who seem to be avoiding the basics when it matters Hotham showed them what was missing and Hannah seems a real find - a tad light but that can be fixed over time
8 Go to commentsGreat insight into the performance culture with Sarries and I predict Christie will be a fixture in the Scotland team now for some time to come. However, he is slightly missing his own point around Scotland “being soft” when he cites physicality examples in defence of that slight. The issue is much closer to the example he referenced around feeling off before a game but being told “it doesn’t matter, you can still play well” by Farrell. Until Scotland can get their psyche in that square, they will carry on folding under extreme pressure…
2 Go to comments> We are having to adapt, evolve and innovate more than when we were in Super Rugby where there was only really one style that everybody had to play to gain the most success. Have = able to? Interesting what that one style might be? I thought SA sides still had bad tours now, or at least bad schedule, months away? Those extra few hours flights have to be a killer though, no surprise to see their sides doing so badly at the start of the season each year. I wouldn’t enjoy that unfairness as a supporter.
7 Go to commentsThe problem for NZ, and Aus, is they ripped up the SR model and lost a massive chunk of revenue that hasn’t been replaced. Don’t forget SA clubs went North because they were left with no choice, Argy unceremoniously binned and Japan cast adrift. Now SR wasn’t perfect, far from it, but they’ve jumped into something without an effective plan, so far, to replace what they’ve lost. The biggest revenue potential now lies in Japan but it won’t be easy or quick to unlock, they are incredibly insular in culture as a nation. In the meantime, there is a serious time bomb sitting under SH rugby and if it happens then the current financial challenges will look like a picnic. IF the Boks follow their provincial teams and head north then it’s revenue meltdown. Not guaranteed to happen but the status quo is a very odd hybrid, with the Boks pointing one way and the clubs pointing the other way. And for as long as that remains then the threat is real.
45 Go to commentsI think Etene has had some good tuition, likely while at the Warriors to be a professional that helped his rugby jump, but he was certainly thrown in the deep end way too early. Should have arguably 20 less SR caps, and therefor a way better record that he does at his age, but his development would have been fast tracked by the need to satiate his signing away from league. Again, credit to him and others that he has done it so well. Easy to fall over under that pressure in the big leagues like that but he kept at it when I myself wasn’t sure he was good enough.
1 Go to commentsAwesome story. I wonder what a bigger American (SA) scene might have mean for Brex.
1 Go to comments“Johnny McNicholl and the Crusaders” save a Penney. Who has been in camp this week and showed them how to play?
8 Go to commentsSo, reports of the Crusaders’ demise / terminal decline are perhaps just - slightly - premature/exaggerated…? 🤔 Will we see a deep-dive into that by the estimable Rugbypass scribes, and maybe one or two mea culpas? Thought not.
8 Go to comments1. The Chiefs are rudderless without DMac, which enhances his AB chances 2. Chiefs pack are powderpuffs. The hard men arent there anymore 3. They had their golden title chance last yr and wont threaten this yr. Gone in second round of playoffs.
8 Go to commentsHonestly, why did you have to publish such a foolish article the day they play us? 😂
45 Go to comments> They are not standalone entities. They are linked to an amateur association which holds the FFR licence that allows the professional side to compete in the league. That’s a great rule. This looks like the chicken or egg professional scenario. How long is it going to be before the club can break even (if that is even a thing in French rugby)? If the locals aren’t into well it would be good to se them drop to amateur level (is it that far?). Hope they can reset from this level and be more practical, there will be a time when they can rebuild (if France has there setup right).
1 Go to commentsWhat about changing the ball? To something heavier and more pointed that bounces unpredictably. Not this almost round football used these days.
35 Go to comments