An Italian in charge in Cape Town: Piardi set to make history as URC Grand Final referee

The match officials for Saturday's United Rugby Championship (URC) Grand Final between the Stormers and Munster were named on Monday, with Italy's Andrea Piardi handed the whistle for the clash.

He will be assisted by Mike Adamson (Scotland) and Craig Evans (Wales), with Ben Whitehouse (Wales) serving as the television match official. 

Piardi will make history as the first Italian match official to referee a URC final. 

The Italian, who will also officiate at this year's Rugby World Cup in France, made his league debut in February 2019, taking charge of Munster vs Southern Kings. He has gone on to make 35 appearances and seven in EPCR competitions.

Piardi has enjoyed high-profile appointments over the past two seasons in the play-offs where he refereed two knockout games in 2022 and, most recently, the Glasgow Warriors vs Munster quarter-final earlier this month.

Speaking about the selections, Tappe Henning, URC head of match officials, said: "It is the biggest day of the season for the teams, and the same is true for our referees. We have a very competitive group of senior officials, so the independent selection panel has had a lot to consider.

“In the URC, we have to balance neutrality and performance, and Andrea fits nicely into those categories. We have seen strong displays from him this season, backed up by confident decision-making and clear communication. I would like to congratulate Andrea on this important selection, and I look forward to seeing him in action in Cape Town.”