Ahead of the semi-finals of the Heineken Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup, EPCR can announce the match officials who have been appointed by a committee chaired by the tournament organiser’s Head of Match Officials, Tony Spreadbury.

The vastly-experienced Wayne Barnes of England will be in charge when the Heineken Champions Cup’s two most decorated clubs, Leinster Rugby and Stade Toulousain, go head-to-head at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday 29 April. Barnes’s assistants will be his fellow countrymen, Luke Pearce and Adam Leal, while Stuart Terheege has been appointed as the match TMO.

The meeting of holders, Stade Rochelais, and the 2020 champions, the Exeter Chiefs, at the Matmut ATLANTIQUE in Bordeaux on Sunday 30 April will be refereed by South Africa’s Jaco Peyper, who is making his debut in EPCR’s elite tournament, with Andrew Brace of Ireland and Italy’s Andrea Piardi running the line. The TMO will be Brian MacNeice, also of Ireland.

An all-French team of officials will be in charge of the first of the EPCR Challenge Cup semi-finals on Saturday 29 April which sees the Scarlets taking on the Glasgow Warriors at Parc y Scarlets with Mathieu Raynal on the whistle, assisted by Pierre Brousset and Tual Trainini, with Eric Gauzins as TMO.

The following day, England’s Karl Dickson will be in the middle when RC Toulon and Benetton Rugby meet at Stade Félix Mayol and he will have fellow countrymen, Matthew Carley and Christophe Ridley, as his assistants, with Tom Foley also of England appointed as TMO.

HEINEKEN CHAMPIONS CUP SEMI-FINALS
(Kick-offs local time)

Leinster Rugby v Stade Toulousain
Saturday 29 April – Aviva Stadium, Dublin (15.00)
Referee: Wayne Barnes (Eng); Assistant referees: Luke Pearce (Eng), Adam Leal (Eng); TMO: Stuart Terheege (Eng)

Stade Rochelais v Exeter Chiefs
Sunday 30 April – Matmut ATLANTIQUE, Bordeaux (16.00)
Referee: Jaco Peyper (SA); Assistant referees: Andrew Brace (Ire), Andrea Piardi (Ita); TMO: Brian MacNeice (Ire)

EPCR CHALLENGE CUP SEMI-FINALS
(Kick-offs local time)

Scarlets v Glasgow Warriors
Saturday 29 April – Parc y Scarlets (17.30)
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (Fra); Assistant referees: Pierre Brousset (Fra), Tual Trainini (Fra); TMO: Eric Gauzins (Fra)

RC Toulon v Benetton Rugby
Sunday 30 April – Stade Félix Mayol (13.30)
Referee: Karl Dickson (Eng); Assistant referees: Matthew Carley (Eng), Christophe Ridley (Eng); TMO: Tom Foley (Eng)

Wayne Barnes and Jaco Peyper to referee Heineken Champions Cup semi-finals