Top ref to control Meads Cup

One of New Zealand rugby's most promising referees, Nick Briant of Bay of Ploenty, will control the Heartland championship Meads Cup match between Wairarapa-Bush and Mid-Canterbury at Memorial Park, Masterton on Saturday.
He will have locals Chris Jefferies and Dean Goodin as assistant referees while controlling substitutions will be Andrew Stringer and Jason Devine.Kick off is at 2.30pm.
A Mid-Canterbury win would see them earn home advantage in the Meads Cup semi-finals the following weekend while a Wairarapa-Bush victory with a bonus point for scoring five tries would give them a remote chance of claiming a semi-final berth. For that to happen South Canterbury and Horowhenua-Kapiti would also need to draw their match at Levin with no bonus points being secured in the process.
The curtain-raiser match on Saturday will feature the Wairarapa-Bush secondary schoolgirls team which won their recent Hurricanes second division series without conceding a solitary point..They will play their Wanganui counterparts in a match which will kick off at 12.45pm.Stringer will be referee and the assistant referees there are to be Devine and Tony Lyford.