Owens appointed to Croke Park showdown

Leading Welsh referee Nigel Owens will take charge of the all-Ireland Heineken Cup semi-final showdown between Munster and Leinster at Croke Park on Saturday, 2 May.

Tournament organisers ERC confirmed the match officials for the 2008/09 Heineken Cup and European Challenge Cup semi-finals on Thursday with the schedule seeing Owens referee the first Heineken Cup match played at the Dublin stadium.

Ireland’s Alain Rolland will referee the clash of Cardiff Blues and Leicester Tigers at the Millennium Stadium. It will be his fourth tournament semi-final in charge, matching the record of former Scottish referee and current ERC Board member Jim Fleming.

French referee Romain Poite will get the big European weekend underway when he referees the match between Northampton Saints and Saracens at Franklin's Gardens on Friday, 1 May with Ireland’s Peter Fitzgibbon in charge at Stade Pierre Rajon for Bourgoin's match against Worcester Warriors.