Landmark Occasion For Murphy

Former Munster player Frank Murphy will take charge of his first game in the Guinness PRO12 this weekend and create a small piece of Championship history in the process.

Murphy will become the second former PRO12 player turned referee when he oversees the clash between Newport-Gwent Dragons and Edinburgh Rugby at Rodney Parade.

Murphy started refereeing after completing a course with the Munster Association of Referees (MAR) in October 2014.

After progressing quickly through the Inter Provincial Appointments System (IPAS), Murphy was promoted to the IRFU National Panel of referees last year.

His excellent officiating saw Murphy named as Referee of the Year at the Munster Rugby awards in May 2016.

The former scrum-half retired from professional rugby at the end of the 2014/15 season having represented Munster, Leicester and Connacht, where he played over 100 games, during a 13-year professional career.

The Crosshaven man was capped eight times for Ireland A, won a Premiership title with Leicester in 2007 and featured for the Tigers in the European Cup final that same year.