Women's Rugby WXV: Referee Lineup

The match officials for the first two rounds of the ground-breaking WXV competition, which is set to revolutionize women's international rugby, have been made public by World Rugby.

18 eminent match officials representing 12 different countries have been chosen to oversee matches in the months of October and November that will take place on three different continents.

Some of the noteworthy appointments include:

• On October 13, Kat Roche, a referee from the United States, will have the privilege of officiating the historic first WXV match between Italy and Japan in Stellenbosch, South Africa. This will happen just one hour before Amelia Luciano, another American, officiates the WXV 3 opener between Fiji and Colombia in Dubai.
• The WXV 1 opener between England and Australia will be officiated by New Zealander Lauren Jenner.
• When Sara Cox from England officiates the Canada vs. Wales game in Wellington on October 21, she will momentarily reclaim her title as the most-capped female test referee.
• When Aimee Barrett-Theron from South Africa officiates the France vs. Australia match on October 28 in Dunedin, she will tie Cox for most tests officiated with 36.

Notably, Joy Neville, who will be a Television Match Official at the Rugby World Cup 2023 in France, will be the sole exception among the nine referees from Rugby World Cup 2021 who will not be supervising games in WXV 2.

WXV is ready to transform the women's rugby landscape by providing a valuable pathway for all unions and acting as a competitive launching pad for a Rugby World Cup that will feature 16 teams in 2025. Following the conclusion of round two, appointments will be made for the final round of matches in each level.

Alhambra Nievas, the manager of World Rugby Women's High-Performance Referees, stressed the importance of WXV in presenting opportunities for both seasoned officials and up-and-coming talent, marking a crucial milestone in the progression toward the Rugby World Cup 2025.

Keep checking back for additional information on this momentous occasion, which has the potential to influence the development of women's rugby worldwide.