Italian referee Andrea Piardi will take charge of Friday night's United Rugby Championship final for a fourth year running, with Hollie Davidson missing out on the role.
Davidson had been tipped to get the nod after Scottish side Glasgow Warriors failed to make it, but she has been overlooked in favour of Lions Test official Piardi.
The 33-year-old has already broken new ground, becoming the first official from Italy to referee in the Six Nations, the Rugby Championship and a British & Irish Lions series. He was in charge of the decisive second Lions Test in Australia last year when he deemed Jac Morgan's controversial clearout as legal in the build-up to Hugo Keenan's series-winning try.
Piardi will be assisted by Welshmen Adam Jones and Ben Breakspear for the final in Dublin.
Popular Scottish official Davidson had put herself in the mix to get the showpiece final after impressing throughout a season that also saw her take charge of Wales v New Zealand in the autumn.
She was in the middle for the controversial semi-final match between Leinster and Stormers, but did receive criticism for failing to issue a straight red to Ruan Ackermann, while she was also subjected to continuous backchat from players on both teams.
URC head of match officials Tappe Henning recently praised Davidson, insisting she was already seen as one of the best officials in the competition.
He said: “The teams see her as a referee, they don’t see her as a female referee. It’s nice to get to that point.
“She’s capable and able – what we call an ‘any game, any time’ referee. The URC is really proud of all her achievements and the barriers she is breaking down.”
Davidson took charge of her first men's Six Nations match earlier this year when she was praised by players for her performance in the Ireland v Italy match.
Piardi made his URC debut in 2019 and refereed his first Test match in 2024 when he took charge of his first Six Nations fixture between Ireland and Wales. A year later, he was appointed to referee the crucial second Test between Australia and the Lions in Melbourne.
URC final appointments
Referee: Andrea Piardi (FIR, 63rd league game)
AR 1: Adam Jones (WRU) AR 2: Ben Breakspear (WRU)
TMO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)