Welsh referee, Nigel Owens, is a well respected figure in the world of refereeing and has been involved in many rugby matches on the world stage. He became an international referee in 2005 and the first game he took control of was Ireland v Japan later that year.

In 2008 Nigel Owens refereed the Heineken Cup final between Munster and Toulouse and took control of the final the following year, this time between Leinster and Leicester. He remains the only official to referee two successive Heineken Cup finals.