Guinness Pro12 Final Referee named

Welsh Referee Nigel Owens has been announced to take charge of this weekends Guinness Pro12 final between Munster and Scarlets in the Aviva Stadium on Saturday evening.

The 45-year-old is the most experienced referee in the PRO12 and his appointment marks the fifth occasion that he has taken change of the Championship Final.

It has been a fantastic year for the official who made his 150th PRO12 appearance earlier this season, while two weeks ago he refereed his sixth European Cup Final at Edinburgh’s BT Murrayfield.

Owens made his first appearance in the Celtic League when he took charge of Border Reivers v Connacht on August 30, 2002.

Following on from Alain Rolland, Owens became the second referee from the PRO12 to referee a World Cup Final in 2015 when he oversaw New Zealand versus Australia at Twickenham.