Pearce will not referee either final

The European final referees have been confirmed at it will see Matthew Carley and Mathieu Raynal take charge of the respective games.

Carley will officiate the Champions Cup final between Leinster and Toulouse on 25 May at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Read more: What did we learn from Champions Cup semis?

Raynal, who will retire at the end of the season, will referee the Challenge Cup final being competed between Gloucester and the Sharks. The final will take place at the same venue on 24 May.

A statement read: “Carley will be refereeing his first EPCR final when he takes charge of the heavyweight Investec Champions Cup clash between Leinster Rugby and Stade Toulousain at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on May 25.

“Raynal, who has been appointed for the EPCR Challenge Cup decider between Gloucester Rugby and the Hollywoodbets Sharks at the state-of-the-art London venue the previous evening (May 24), will also be in charge of an EPCR final for the first time.”

The appointments mean Luke Pearce misses out of refereeing in the final. Some had expected him to take the whistle for Champions Cup final and former England player Andy Goode told Rugby Pass: “His control of the breakdown, desire to see a fast-paced game, and ability to communicate in French make him the perfect man for the job.”

But who else is a part of the refereeing teams? All the details are below.

Full referee appointments

Challenge Cup final, Friday 24 May

Referee: Mathieu Raynal (FRA)

Assistant referees: Andrew Brace (Ire) and Pierre Brousset (FRA)

TMO: Eric Gauzins (FRA)

Citing Commissioner: Ed Kenny (IRE)

Champions Cup final, Saturday 25 May

Referee: Matthew Carley (ENG)

Assistant referees: Karl Dickson (ENG) and Andrea Piardi (ITA)

TMO: Ian Tempest (ENG)

Citing Commissioner: Stefano Marrama (ITA)

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