A round-up of referees
Let me first warmly recommend an illuminating podcast between Keith Lewis, founder of rugbyreferee.net and Laws Co-ordinator for World Rugby (no less) and Natarsha Ganley (NZ), who was one of the referees officiating at the RWC in England. It’s Episode 45.
She recounts how she started out, climbed the officiating tree rapidly, to find herself in charge of aWorld Cup match at Exeter and York and AR at Sunderland (in the opening fixture).
It’s a sign of the times that she will be coming to England to referee matches in the PWR next year. Like her playing sisters back home, she has a gap till June in her rugby diary.
She gives a fascinating insight into the whole business of undertaking a major tournament abroad.
This sort of development helps the game expand profitably.
On past occasions I’ve mentioned the presence (or absence) of women from the ranks of officials in the PWR.
But take a look at a cross-section of appointments this weekend:
There are four in the PWR (Holly Wood doing double duty Saturday and Sunday) – she will also be hosting Tarsh when she arrives. Then:
Hollie Davidson, Northampton v Bulls (ref)
Clara Munarini, Castres v Edindurgh (AR)
Sara Cox, Toyota Cheetahs v Stade Francais (ref, in Amsterdam)
Maria Latos, Brussels v Romanian Wolves (AR)
Katherine Ritchie, Eemland v Haarlem (men’s Ereklasse NL, ref)
In France Aurelie Groizeleau teams up with a certain Danny Groizeleau as ARs in a men’s ProD2 match.
And last but very much first, the boss of them all, Alhambra Nievas Gonzalez, is still wielding the whistle in the Spanish Iberdrola league.
(with thanks again to rugbyreferee.net.)
The world can be at your feet.
