North Waleian referee Jenny Davies is set to become the first Wales player to go on to represent her country as a referee in an international fixture. In doing so, she emulates her former playing adversary, Joy Neville who followed the same journey a decade ago.
Davies has been appointed to referee her first international – Portugal v Spain on 30 March. She will be assisted by Sarah Toll and Ceri Parry to complete an all-female team of three Welsh officials for the very first time. Capped 74 times by Wales as a loosehead prop, she took up the whistle in 2018 and has worked her way up through the ranks to earn her first opportunity at Test level.
“I was very privileged to play for my country, but to do it as a referee as well is simply gob smacking,” she said. “The appointment hasn’t really sunk in to be honest, but I am determined to just go out there, just like when I was playing, and ref it as I see it.
“The way I see it, we are going out as a team which will comfort me. It should be so easier working with people I know.”
A refereeing friend and mentor
Ireland’s Joy Neville (who had 70 Irish caps before scaling the referee ranks) has for so long been seen as a trailblazer for female officials. And now Davies is ready to pick up the mantle. “I would class her as a friend, she is definitely a mentor, she has given me some great feedback. Receiving her words of wisdom from everything she has experienced has been hugely beneficial to me,” said Davies.
“If I get to achieve half of what she has accomplished would be amazing but I also need to thank everyone within the WRU who have supported me to get me where I am.”
Davies’ WRU referee coach Rich Morgan, said “Jenny started officiating at the start of 2018 season, and it was clear at this early stage that her knowledge of the game would stand her in good stead.
“With the rugby community already knowing her, she was quickly accepted as a referee and was able to be flourish and climb the refereeing ladder with the occasional set back that we quickly overcame with dedication and hard work. She is now regularly reffing Championship matches.
Speaking of Davies’ ARs, Morgan added “Ceri is an ex-player from Club Rugby Caernarfon, the same club that Jenny coached and finished her playing career with. Ceri took up the whistle to support her son’s team in the junior section and continued afterwards into youth and senior rugby. She has worked hard and persistence has paid off with appointments at Division 2 level. Sarah Toll (pic right) is originally from Sweden, and played rugby in several countries. She took up reffing while in England and has previously acted as assistant referee in Women’s Six Nations games. Like Jenny, she has refereed games in the Celtic Challenge series this year and regularly at Division 1 level.”
Breakthrough season
WRU National performance manager for referees, Paul Adams, said, “This season is proving to be an exciting season for WRU match officials. It is developing as somewhat of a breakthrough season. For the first time two women – Jenny Davies and Amber Stamp-Dunstan – have refereed in the Championship of the Men’s National League and, along with Sarah Toll, all three have refereed in the new Celtic Challenge Cup.
“Amber continues to show her enormous potential by being selected to AR in the Women’s Six Nations and referee in the women’s Under 18 Six Nations festival.
“The increase in the number of women taking up the whistle is testament to the hard work put in by Sean Brickell and Richard Morgan. They have been at the vanguard of women’s refereeing in Wales and continue to search for and develop new talent.
“It is really pleasing to see that as a nation we are now starting to get recognition at representative level and hopefully in the near future we will see a Welsh woman selected for the Six Nations and the World 7s Series.”
Good luck to Jenny and her team in March!
Well done ladies. The game needs you