Italian ref to make URC historical past
Andrea Piardi will change into the primary Italian match official to referee a Vodacom United Rugby Championship grand last after his appointment to this weekend’s decider between DHL Stormers and Munster in Cape City.
The 30-year-old, who will probably be a part of the match officers crew for the upcoming Rugby World Cup in France, made his league debut in February 2019 taking cost of Munster v Southern Kings and has gone on to make 35 appearances and 7 in EPCR competitions.
Piardi has loved high-profile appointments over the previous two seasons within the playoffs the place he refereed two knockout video games in 2022 and most not too long ago the Glasgow Warriors vs Munster quarter-final earlier this month.
Piardi’s match officers crew will include Scotland’s Mike Adamson and Craig Evans from Wales because the assistant referees. Ben Whitehouse (Wales), who has been chosen for the World Cup, will function Tv Match Official.
The crew can have the mixed expertise of 244 league video games.
Talking in regards to the choices, Tappe Henning, URC head of match officers, stated: “It’s the greatest day of the season for the groups and the identical is true for our referees. Now we have a really aggressive group of senior officers, so the impartial choice panel has had quite a bit to contemplate.
“Within the URC we’ve to stability neutrality and efficiency and Andrea matches properly into these classes. Now we have seen sturdy shows from him this season backed up by assured decision-making and clear communication. I want to congratulate Andrea on this vital choice and I look ahead to seeing him in motion in Cape City.”
SATURDAY, MAY 27
DHL Stormers v Munster
DHL Stadium, Cape City – KO 17.30 IRE & UK / 18.30 ITA & SA
Referee: Andrea Piardi (FIR, thirty sixth league recreation)
AR 1: Mike Adamson (SRU) AR 2: Craig Evans (WRU)
TMO: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)
Photograph: Billy Stickland/INPHO/Shutterstock/BackpagePix
