At this evening’s glittering World Rugby Awards ceremony in Monaco, the 2017 Referee Award has been given to Joy Neville.
This comes off the back of a stellar year for the Irish referee. Having refereed superbly at the Women’s Rugby World Cup she was rewarded with the Final between England and the Black Ferns. She has since been given a full-time referee contract by the IRFU and became only the second female official to referee a men’s World Rugby fixture – Norway v Denmark – in October.
And her year is not over, as in December, Joy will referee Bordeaux-Begles v Enisei-STM in the European Challenge Cup – the first female to referee at that level.
In 2016, fellow WRWC referee Alhambra Nievas shared the Referee Award spoils with Rasta Rasivenge.
Huge congratulations to Joy on a great year, and a well deserved World Rugby Award!
