Fantastic news from Australia last week with the naming of Womens World Cup Final referee, Amy Perrett as Australian Rugby’s Referee of the Year at the John Eales Medal Awards,
The award capped off an incredible year for the 25-year-old Sydneysider, with Perrett representing Australia at the 2014 IRB Women’s Rugby World Cup in France in August, culminating in the appointment to the semi-final between England and Ireland and then the final between England and Canada.
In March, she also took charge of the Scotland v France fixture in the Women’s Six Nations Championship and was a regular on the IRB Women’s Sevens World Series circuit, officiating in all five legs of the 2013/14 season.
Perrett, who is the first female referee to receive the Roger Vanderfield Award for Referee of the Year, is quickly establishing herself as one of the top referees in the women’s game. She made the transition from player to referee in 2003 at just 14 years of age and has risen rapidly through the ranks, making her international debut in the 2012 Women’s Sevens Challenge Cup in Hong Kong.
Perrett refereed her first men’s XVs game in this year’s Shute Shield competition in Sydney and has been officiating in the Buildcorp National Rugby Championship.
ARU Pathway Service Manager – Officiating, Scott Young, said he had been incredibly impressed by Perrett’s progress this year. “Amy has gone from strength to strength, making her mark on the international stage with standout performances at the 2014 Women’s Rugby World Cup. In 2014, Amy was one of four female referees included on the ARU National Match Officials squad for the first time. This is part of a concerted effort to improve the standard of female officiating in Australia, and Amy is living proof of its success.”
The Roger Vanderfield Award for Referee of the Year recognises an Australian Rugby national referee who demonstrates high standards of officiating and is considered to be a role model for the game in Australia.
Also nominated for the award were Steve Walsh and Matt O’Brien.
Roger Vanderfield Award – Referee of the Year – Past Winners
- 2013 Steve Walsh
- 2012 Steve Walsh
- 2011 Steve Walsh
- 2010 Stuart Dickinson
- 2009 Stuart Dickinson
