Marius Mitrea (FIR) will become only the third referee in the history of the tournament to make his centenary appearance, as he officiates Benetton at home to Glasgow Warriors in Treviso on Saturday.
Mitrea follows in the footsteps of Nigel Owens and George Clancy, who have both past the 100-match mark. Mitrea appeared in three PRO14 Semi-Finals, 2014, 2016 and 2017 as an assistant referee, as well as the 2018 Leinster v Scarlets Final. Mitrea has also has held the whistle for 49 EPCR games and 16 test matches.
In his 99 games to date, Mitrea has distributed 96 yellow cards, 3 red cards and awarded 14 penalty tries. 4369 points have been scored, and 492 tries altogether.
Mauro Dordolo, Chairman of the Referee Committee for the FIR, said: “The goal that Marius will reach next Saturday will be emotional for the entire FIR refereeing area. This milestone, which Marius has reached in 10 years, must be an example to encourage everyone to overcome their limits and, once they are overcome, impose others that must also be overcome again. Only in this way is it possible to constantly improve and grow, as Marius has done in these 10 years of activity in PRO14.”
Marius Mitrea said: “I would never have thought, exactly 10 years after my debut in PRO14, to reach such an important milestone, not only for me, but above all for FIR.
“Behind this result there are many sacrifices, hard work and above all many people who have helped and believed in me. I want to thank FIR first of all, for the support and the unconditional trust offered over the years, the President of CNAR Mauro Dordolo who believed in me and Alain Rolland for the work done this season alongside of the FIR. Obviously, a special thanks goes to my colleagues, referees, who supported and helped me on my path, making it easier and more interesting.”
“I just hope that this is not just a goal, but that it serves as a guide for other Italian referees to be able not only to reach it, but to do better.”
Greg Garner, Elite Referee Manager, PRO14 Rugby, said: “This is a terrific achievement for Marius and it is a landmark that can leave a superb legacy for Italian match officials to emulate. Holding the whistle for a top-level game is hugely challenging, and for Marius to have clocked up a century of appearances, in addition to his European and International appointments, is a great credit to him and his dedication.”
This weekend will also facilitate three World Rugby Law Trials.
The Match Officials for this weekend are listed below alongside live TV Broadcast information.
Friday, April 23
Ulster v Connacht – KO 20:15
Kingspan Stadium, Belfast
Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU, 64th competition game)
Assistant Referees: Frank Murphy, Rob O’Sullivan (both IRFU)
TMO: Brian MacNeice (IRFU)
Live on Premier Sports 2, eir Sport 2, Super Sport (SA), ESPN+ (USA), pro14.tv.
Deferred Coverage: 22:25 TG4
Edinburgh v Zebre Rugby Club – KO 20:15 UK / 21:15 ITA
BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh
Referee: Ben Whitehouse (WRU, 73rd competition game)
Assistant Referees: Ben Blain, Ian Kenny (both SRU)
TMO: Mike Adamson (SRU)
Live on Premier Sports 1, eir Sport 2, Super Sport (SA), ESPN+ (USA), pro14.tv.
Saturday, April 24
Benetton v Glasgow Warriors – KO 13:00 UK / 14:00 ITA
Stadio de Monigo, Treviso
Referee: Marius Mitrea (FIR, 100th competition game)
Assistant Referees: Gianluca Gnecchi, Matteo Liperini (both FIR)
TMO: Stefano Penne (FIR)
Live on DAZN, Premier Sports 2, Super Sport (SA), ESPN+ (USA), pro14.tv.
Ospreys v Cardiff Blues – KO 17:15
Liberty Stadium, Swansea
Referee: Sam Grove-White (SRU, 14th competition game)
Assistant Referees: Adam Jones, Mike English (both WRU)
TMO: Jon Mason (WRU)
Live on Premier Sports 1, Super Sport (SA), ESPN+ (USA), pro14.tv.
Deferred Coverage: 20:35 S4C
Leinster v Munster – KO 19:35
RDS Arena, Dublin
Referee: Chris Busby (IRFU, 8th competition game)
Assistant Referees: Sean Gallagher, Eoghan Cross (both IRFU)
TMO: Joy Neville (IRFU)
Live on eir Sport 1, Premier Sports 1, Super Sport (SA), ESPN+ (USA), pro14.tv.
Deferred Coverage: 21:45 TG4
Sunday, April 25
Dragons v Scarlets – KO 13:00
Rodney Parade, Newport
Referee: Craig Evans (WRU, 20th competition game)
Assistant Referees: Nigel Owens, Gareth Newman (both WRU)
TMO: Dan Jones (WRU)
Live on Premier Sports 1, eir Sport 2, Super Sport (SA), ESPN+ (USA), pro14.tv.
