Nigel Owens will referee Pro12 Final at RDS

It will be the highly regarded Welsh official’s second time to take charge of the decider

Nigel Owens will referee the Pro12 Final between Leinster and the Glasgow Warriors at the RDS. Photograph:  Huw Evans
Nigel Owens will referee the Pro12 Final between Leinster and the Glasgow Warriors at the RDS. Photograph: Huw Evans

Nigel Owens will referee this year's RaboDirect RaboDirect Pro12 Final between Leinster and the Glasgow Warriors at the RDS on Saturday week (6.15pm) in what will be the Welshman's 111th tournament match and the second time he has taken charge of a final.

The first was when Munster took on Leinster at Thomond Park in 2011. Owens has plenty of big match experience having taken charge of three Heineken Cup and two Amlin Challenge Cup finals, along with 13 Six Nations matches and eight Tri-Nations (Rugby Championship) games.

He has twice officiated at Rugby World Cups in 2007 and 2011. He will be joined at the RDS by sssistant referees and fellow Welshmen Leighton Hodges and Ian Davies. Derek Bevan will act as the television match official while the citing commissioner is Italy's Maurizio Vancini.