Judgement Day IV sees two Welsh referees take charge of the biggest Welsh derbies of the season, while SSE SWALEC Finals Day on Sunday will see three Welsh referees take charge of the matches, along with the five teams of assistant referees.
Rugby World Cup Final referee Nigel Owens of Pontyberem, who has just been appointed to referee the Champions Cup Final on May 14 between Racing 92 and Saracens at the Grand Stade de Lyon, takes charge of the first game between Cardiff Blues and the Ospreys while upcoming Welsh referee Ben Whitehouse (Gowerton) is the man in the middle for Dragons v Scarlets.
On Sunday the three SSE SWALEC Finals will be controlled by Ian Davies of Porthcawl (Cup), Dai Cambourne of Nelson (Plate) and Steve Nash of Ebbw Vale will take charge of the SSE Bowl final between Burry Port and Taffs Well.
WRU Manager of Match Officials Nigel Whitehouse said, “This is the biggest weekend for Welsh domestic rugby and it’s fitting that we have a team of Welsh officials on duty. It’s a great honour for the five Welsh referees and their respective assistants to be officiating at the home of Welsh rugby. It’s not often that Welsh referees get to be part of big occasions at Principality Stadium and it’s an opportunity the officials will savour.
“It’s a chance for them to play their part in what should be a great weekend of rugby. It’s a big weekend for the clubs and regions but it’s also a big moment for these match officials. I wish all five referees and their teams the very best this weekend.”
Refereeing is currently on the up in Wales since the autumn’s Rugby World Cup when Nigel Owens took charge of the final between Australia and New Zealand.
“We’ve noticed an upturn in interest for refereeing since Rugby World Cup, helped no little by Nigel Owens’ involvement in the tournament as a whole and the final. With games at every level of Welsh domestic rugby taking place this weekend at Principality Stadium, referees coming into the game can aspire to be part of occasions like this, along with travelling the world.”
Four Welsh referees will be involved in World Rugby duty in June. Following the Champions Cup Final, Nigel Owens will set off for Fiji and Australia, Ben Whitehouse will travel to South Africa to take part in his first major Test as a match official, running the touch for South Africa v Ireland; Craig Evans will be officiating at World Rugby U20 Championship in Manchester and Adam Jones will accompany the Wales U18 to the international tournament in South Africa.
