New Zealand Rugby (NZR) has announced the new cohort of five successful recipients of the Women’s Referee Scholarship Programme for 2025-27. The initiative was launched to support the development of women referees across Aotearoa, with the latest cohort bringing an exciting mix of elite playing experience and community leadership to the whistle.
New scholars
The five selected are:
- Azania Watene (Counties Manukau – top left) – A dynamic halfback who represented Counties Manukau in the Farah Palmer Cup (FPC) since 2014. Azania is currently working as a lawyer and is still involved in supporting women’s rugby at her club Pukekohe.
- Chey Robins-Reti (Bay of Plenty/Waikato – top centre) – A triple-code athlete who has represented the Black Ferns 7s, Black Ferns, and the Kiwi Ferns Chey’s explosiveness and calm decision-making under pressure make her well suited to the demands of officiating. She brings with her international playing experience and a huge amount of knowledge of both 7s and 15s.
- Danielle Tippett (South Canterbury – top right) – A first five/midfield back who plays for the South Island Heartland XV and her home club of Pleasant point. Known for her work ethic and leadership, Danielle has already started to contribute as a mentor to other women in South Canterbury who have taken up refereeing.
- Hayley Hutana (Canterbury – bottom left) – Hayley is a former Black Ferns wider squad member and a key contributor to Canterbury’s dominant FPC era over the last decade. With a deep knowledge of the game and an ability to read play, she transitions to refereeing with a wealth of high-performance rugby insight.
- Kahurangi Sturmey (Manawatū – bottom right) – A long-serving forward for the Manawatū Cyclones and the Hurricanes Poua, Kahurangi is a long time passionate advocate for grassroots rugby. Kahurangi’s understanding of the flow of the game and her natural presence on the field have already been identified as key strengths in her early refereeing assessments.
Each recipient of the scholarship will receive financial support, one-on-one coaching, and ongoing mentoring from NZR’s Women’s Referee Development Manager, Maggie Cogger-Orr. Over the course of the two-year programme, they will be integrated into development pathways within their provincial unions and connected with national performance networks.
“Building on the success of the first cohort of the referee scholarship, I’m really looking forward to working with these 5 wāhine as they begin their refereeing journey,” said Cogger-Orr. “They bring a huge range of first-class rugby experience which will be a massive asset to them and to their communities.”
The Women’s Referee Scholarship Programme was established to create tangible pathways for former players and aspiring referees to develop within a supportive, high-performance environment. This second intake reflects NZR’s continued commitment to increasing visibility, opportunity, and excellence in the women’s officiating space. The previous three referees – Chloe Sampson, Kaitlin Bates and Krysten Cottrell continue to develop their refereeing alongside playing, with Chloe Sampson now officiating permanently and represents NZ on the World Svns Series.
Previous scholars
Chloe Sampson – Taranaki
From the start of the programme, Chloe (right) committed fully to refereeing, making rapid progress along the way. In 2024, she made her World Rugby debut as an assistant referee, officiated her first-class match in the Farah Palmer Cup, and was selected as one of nine referees for the HSBC World Sevens Series 2024–2025.
Kaitlin Bates – Waikato
Balancing both playing and refereeing, Kaitlin (left) entered the programme with no prior refereeing experience and quickly made her mark. During the 2023–2024 season, she officiated the Waikato Women’s Club Final, managed Women’s B matches in the Northern Region and participated in prestigious sevens tournaments in Dubai and the World Youth event in Auckland.
Krysten Cottrell – Hawke’s Bay
While primarily focused on her playing career, with standout performances for the Blues in Sky Super Rugby Aupiki over two consecutive seasons, Krysten (right) also embraced refereeing opportunities locally in Hawke’s Bay. Her natural aptitude for officiating has set the stage for a promising future in refereeing once she transitions fully into the role.
