The HSBC SVNS World Championship heads to Valladolid, Spain this weekend and so the referee teams are in place too. Some new and familiar names are in Nairobi as the Rugby Africa Women’s Championship has two more rounds to play. Precious Pazani (pictured top left) from Zimbabwe, will referee the probable decider as South Africa play Kenya on Sunday.
Elsewhere, Joe James (bottom right) will referee the Championship Final in England between Worcester and Bedford (although there’s no promotion on offer as neither team met the necessary conditions). The PWR returns for its season run-in, as does Holly Wood, refereeing just 7 weeks after giving birth to her second child. Welcome back, Holly!! It’s the last regular round of the season across the Super Rugby Pacific and Americas tournaments too, plus regular season games in the MLR and WER in the US.
It’s URC quarter-finals with Eoghan Cross, Adam Jones, Sam Grove-White and Andrea Piardi all having the whistle in those. In France, its the last round of the Top 14, penultimate round of Elite 1 and the semi finals of the ProD2 – big weekend for all the officials with Tual Trainini (top right) and Pierre Bru on duty of the semis there which may determine who is in pole position to be promoted. It’s finals day in the Netherlands with Edwin van der Spek (bottom left) in charge of the men’s Ereklasse finale and Marit Bras has the women’s final.
One final shout out to Takehito Namekawa who will retire from refereeing after the Wildknights v Spears semin final in Japan. After a long international playing career, he’s had quite the run as a referee as well. Good luck with the swansong Name!
Enjoy whatever rugby you’re involved in this weekend
Keith
World Svns Series – finals round 1 -Valladolid, Spain
Women’s event: Ella Goldsmith (Aus), Chloe Sampson (NZ), Doriane Constanty (Fra), Hibiki Ikeda (Jpn), Sunny Lee (HKC) & Maria Latos (Ger)
Men’s event: Ben Connor (Wal), Peter Martin (Ire), AJ Jacobs (SA), Nick Hogan (NZ), George Selwood (Eng) & Morgan White (HKC)
Rugby Africa Women’s Cup 2026 – Nairobi, Kenya
Wed 27th
South Africa v Uganda
Referee: Julie Randriarimanana (Mad)
Kenya v Madagascar
Referee: Rejoyce Simeti (Zim)
Sun 31 May
Uganda v Madagascar
Referee: Bineta Sene (Sen)
South Africa v Kenya
Referee: Precious Pazani (Zim)
Japan: League One
Division One – Play-Offs
Steelers v Sungoliath
Referee: Koki Yamauchi
ARs: Teruki Inanishi & Rikito Nobuhara
TMO: Tasuku Kawahara
FPRO: Minoru Fuji
Wildknights v Spears
Referee: Takehito Namekawa
ARs: Koki Yamauchi & Atsushi Yamamoto
TMO: Yosuke Kimura
FPRO: Katsuki Furuse
Promotion/relegation play off – Division 1 second leg
Dynaboars (36) v Shuttles (14)
Referee: Toshimasa Sekiya
ARs: Tetsuya Hirakawa & Kohei Osawa
TMO: Takehito Namekawa
FPRO: Nobutsugu Oda
D-Rocks (37) v Bluesharks (15)
Referee: Masaki Kondo
ARs: Sota Ouchi & Meitetsu Shimizu
TMO: Yosuke Kimura
FPRO: Yuichi Machida
Promotion/relegation play off – Division 2 second leg
Skyactivs (17) v Reddolphins (20)
Referee: Ibuki Tetsuka
ARs: Yusaku Murata & Kohei Yoshino
TMO: Tomohiro Koyama
FPRO: Katsuhiko Ishii
Rugguts (17) v Seawaves (19)
Referee: Motonori Mizutani
ARs: Rikito Nobuhara & Ano Kuwai
TMO: Ibuki Tetsuka
FPRO: Daiki Kako
Super Rugby Pacific – round 16
Crusaders v Hurricanes
Referee: Nic Berry
ARs: Reuben Keane & Louis Trisley
TMO: Brett Cronan
Queensland Reds v Fijian Drua
Referee: James Doleman
ARs: Fraser Hannon & Dan Moore
TMO: Glen Newman
ACT Brumbies v Moana Pasifika
Referee: Jordan Way
ARs: Damon Murphy & Jeremy Markey
TMO: James Leckie
Chiefs v Blues
Referee: Angus Gardner
ARs: George Myers & Matt Kellahan
TMO: Graham Cooper
Western Force v NSW Waratahs
Referee: Marcus Playle
ARs: Todd Petrie & Warwick Lahmert
TMO: Ollie Kellett
Gallagher Premiership – round 17
Bristol Bears v Bath Rugby
Referee: Karl Dickson (106th game)
ARs: Dan Jones & Jonathan Healy
TMO: Andrew Jackson
Newcastle Redbulls v Sale Sharks
Referee: Christophe Ridley (96th game)
ARs: Jamie Parr & Henry Pearson
TMO: Peter Allan
Northampton Saints v Gloucester Rugby
Referee: Sara Cox (16th game)
ARs: Matthew Carley & Wayne Falla
TMO: Hamish Smales
Saracens v Harlequins
Referee: Luke Pearce (171st game)
ARs: Richard Gordon & Mike Woods
TMO: Dean Richards
Leicester Tigers v Exeter Chiefs
Referee: Anthony Woodthorpe (55th game)
ARs: Ian Tempest & Jamie Leahy
TMO: David Rose
England: Premiership Women’s Rugby – The PWR
Ealing Trailfinders Women v Gloucester-Hartpury Women
Referee: Hamish Grant
ARs: Neil Chivers & Jack Sutton
Bristol Bears Women v Exeter Chiefs Women
Referee: Benjamin Wood
ARs: Emily Hope & Kieron Henry
Harlequins Women v Leicester Tigers Women
Referee: Nikki O’Donnell
ARs: Rebecca Piddlesden & Katie Gent
Loughborough Lightning v Saracens Women
Referee: Holly Wood
ARs: Mike Hudson & Iain Kiy
TMO: Nikki O’Donnell
England: Elior Championship Final
Bedford Blues v Worcester Warriors
Referee: Joe James
ARs: Harry Walbaum & James Clarke
BKT United Rugby Championship – Quarter-Finals
Glasgow Warriors v Connacht Rugby
Referee: Adam Jones (Wal – 51st league game)
ARs: Ben Breakspear (Wal) & Craig Evans (Wal)
TMO: Aled Griffiths (Wal)
Vodacom Bulls v Munster Rugby
Referee: Andrea Piardi (Ita – 62nd league game)
ARs: Federico Vedovelli (Ita) & Filippo Russo (Ita)
TMO: Matteo Liperini (Ita)
DHL Stormers v Cardiff Rugby
Referee: Eoghan Cross (Ire – 40st league game)
ARs: Andrew Brace (Ire) & Andrew Cole (Ire)
TMO: Leo Colgan (Ire)
Leinster Rugby v Lions
Referee: Sam Grove-White (Sco – 63rd league game)
ARs: Hollie Davidson (Sco) & Ru Campbell (Sco)
TMO: Mike Adamson (Sco)
USA: MLR – round 10
Old Glory DC v Chicago Hounds
Referee: Federico Anselmi
ARs: Derek Summers & Amelia Luciano
Anthem Rugby Carolina v California Legion
Referee: Peter Pender
ARs: Luke Rogan & Emma Gallagher
Seattle Seawolves v New England Free Jacks
Referee: Robin Kaluzniak
ARs: Shanda Assmus & Alex Nunnally
USA: WER – round 4
Gemini v Banshees
Referee: Lindsey Oliver
ARs: Kevin Terpstra & Dan Drasher
Exiles v Onyx
Referee: Kahlil Harrison
ARs: Sam Tancredi & Casey Draskovich
Breakers v Tempest
Referee: Sybil Levine
ARs: Will Nelson & Emma Clery
France: Top 14 – Round 25
Stade Français Paris v Aviron Bayonnais
Referee: Jeremy Rozier
ARs: Ghyslain Elias & Jonathan Gasnier
TMO: Jean Lespes
US Montauban v Stade Rochelais
Referee: Vincent Blasco Baque
ARs: Sylvain Jaymes & Thibault Santamaria
TMO: Denis Grenouillet
Stade Toulousain v LOU Rugby
Referee: Pierre Brousset
ARs: Aurelien Laloo & Evan Urruzmendi
TMO: Philippe Bonhoure
Montpellier Hérault Rugby v Section Paloise
Referee: Luc Ramos
ARs: Cyrille Boulay & Benoit Rousselet
TMO: Eric Gauzins
RC Toulon v Union Bordeaux-Bègles
Referee: Adrien Marbot
ARs: David Beun & Pierre Baptiste Nuchy
TMO: Cyril Lafon
ASM Clermont v Racing 92
Referee: Ludovic Cayre
ARs: Thomas Charabas & Laurent Millotte
TMO: Julien Castaignede
France: ProD2 – Semi-finals
RC Vannes v Oyonnax Rugby
Referee Tual Trainini
ARs: Christophe Bultet & Anthony Lac
TMO: Patrick Pechambert
Colomiers Rugby v Provence Rugby
Referee: Pierre Bru
ARs: Stephane Boyer & Stephane Coulon
TMO: Laurent Sclafer
France: Elite 1 Feminine – Round 17
Montpellier Herault Rugby v Stade Toulousain Rugby
Referee: Olivier Gillot
ARs: Aurelien Carillet & Francois Derain
Blagnac Sporting Club Rugby v Lyon Ol U
Referee: Julien Camus
ARs: Adrien Fiche & Eric Gleyze
Stade Villeneuvois Lille Metropole V Rugby Club Toulon Provence Mediterranee
Referee: Alexis Darche
ARs: Elliott Chretien & Damien Serouart
ASM Romagnat Rugby Féminin v AC Bobigny 93 Rugby
Referee: Gautier Reymond Laruina
Ars: Etienne Galpin & Fabrice Hand
Stade Bordelais v FC Grenoble Amazones
Referee: Doriane Domenjo
Ars: Tom Brillant & Laurent Delmon
Super Rugby Americas – Round 13
Capibaras XV v Dogos XV
Referee: Pablo Deluca
ARs: Juan Sebastián Maio & Juan Vega
Pampas v Selknam
Referee: Damián Schneider
ARs: Francisco González & Luca Solda
Cobras Brasil Rugby v Tarucas
Referee: Federico Longobardi
ARs: Gastón Roué & Victor Hugo Barboza
Yacare XV v Peñarol Rugby
Referee: Tomás Ninci
ARs: Cauã Ricardo & Sergio Alvarenga
Netherlands: Ereklasse Men’s Final
RC The Dukes v Haagsche RC
Referee: Edwin van der Spek
ARs: Liam Wright & Katherine Ritchie
Netherlands – Ereklasse Women’s Final
RC Waterland v AAC
Referee: Marit Bras
ARs: Tetiana Tarasiuk & Marlo Hokse
