Rugby:England’s Wayne Barnes will take charge Leinster’s Heineken Cup semi-final against Clermont Auvergne at the Stade Chaban-Delmas on Sunday, April 29th. French referee Romain Poite will take charge of Ulster’s clash with Edinburgh at the Aviva stadium 24 hours earlier.

The much anticipated Bordeaux game between defending champions Leinster and Clermont, which has already generated ticket sales of 22,000, looks set to be a sell-out as the Irish province chase an unprecedented three titles in four seasons.

Poite, who refereed the 2011 final, has been on duty in all seven Heineken Cup weekends to date this season and will be taking of his charge of his 50th ERC match at the Aviva Stadium. Over 37,000 tickets have already been sold for the game in Dublin.

With Edinburgh appearing in a first ever game in the last four, and with 1999 champions, Ulster, bridging a 13-year gap since their last semi-final match, the Dublin contest on Saturday, 28 April looks set to attract another massive attendance as 37,000 tickets have already been snapped up by supporters.

Irish referees Alain Rolland and George Clancy will preside over the respective Amlin Challenge Cup semi-finals. Rolland takes charge of the clash between Toulon and Stade Francais at the Stade Felix Mayol on Friday, April 27th (7.55, Irish time) while Clancy will be in charge when Biarritz Olympique take on Brive in the Parc des Sports Aguilera on Saturday, April 28th (3.0, Irish time).





HEINEKEN CUP SEMI-FINALS

(Kick-offs Irish time)

SATURDAY, APRIL 28th:Ulster v Edinburgh, Aviva Stadium (5.45). Referee: Romain Poite (Fra); Assistant Referee 1: Jerome Garces (Fra), Assistant Referee 2: Pascal Gauzere (Fra)

SUNDAY, APRIL 29th:ASM Clermont Auvergne v Leinster, Stade Chaban-Delmas, Bordeaux (3.0)

Referee: Wayne Barnes (Eng); Assistant Referee 1: Nigel Owens (Wal), Assistant Referee 2: Dave Pearson (Eng).