Joy Neville Continues To Break New Ground

Former Munster and Ireland captain, Joy Neville, continued to make history in recent weeks when she became the first female referee to officiate in the Guinness PRO14.

The Limerick woman, current Munster and World Rugby Referee of the Year, commanded the whistle during Ulster’s recent 59-10 win over Southern Kings at the Kingspan Stadium in Belfast.

The 34-year-old previously took charge of a European Challenge Cup game between Bordeaux-Bègles and Enisei-STM in December, after refereeing an international clash between Norway and Denmark in October.

Neville, who won 70 caps for Ireland and was a Grand Slam winner in 2013, was appointed to referee the 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup between New Zealand and England at the Kingspan Stadium last August.

Munster Rugby recently caught up with Neville to discuss her PRO14 appointment as well as her transition from player to referee.

She said: “I was honoured to have been given the opportunity to referee a PRO14 fixture. You have to stay so focused on the day and as a consequence, you are not fully aware of the atmosphere nor the crowds present. It’s only days later that you can really appreciate the experience.

“It was wonderful and I’m so happy that I did it, I always say that when a referee remains anonymous they have a good day and I remained somewhat anonymous so I’m very thankful for that.

“One of the proudest things I could take from that PRO14 match was the change in attitudes. In some cases in the past the messages I’ve received have been about gender but for the PRO14 game they were mostly about the job being done well and not much about the gender of the referee. I think that was brilliant.”

Neville recalled her appointment for the 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup as the platform from which she propelled herself into officiating the men’s game.

“It was such a good final and I am so grateful for getting the opportunity to referee it. I think refereeing the Women’s World Cup final opened pathways for further opportunities in the men’s professional game.

“I didn’t want 2017 to end because it was such a special year for me, it’s been said that the Women’s Rugby World Cup final was one of the best finals to watch in history.

“I played rugby for 11 years with the aim to play in a World Cup final and obviously to not be successful and then to referee one, it is a very special memory for me.”

Neville made the transition from player to match official after being contacted by David McHugh, an ex-international referee and IRFU referee manager, once she retired from the game.

“I was approached by Dave and was interested in the opportunity to become a referee, I asked him to give me eight or nine months to enjoy my life outside of rugby and after that I knew I would be ready for another challenge.”

Neville then began her preparations, and soon became the first woman to referee an All Ireland League Division 1A game before rising through the ranks as part of the officiating teams for the PRO12 and European competitions.

“I put a lot of preparation into the games to try and be as mentally and physically fit as possible. Fail to prepare, prepare to fail is the approach that I take.

“I learn so much from the other contracted referees, Johnny (Lacey), George (Clancy) and Andy (Brace) at the Munster Rugby High Performance Centre.

“I train with the lads and when we train, we also talk about scenarios and how we could have done things better. They have always given me time and been very thoughtful, it’s invaluable what we learn from each other.”

Neville will next referee Scotland v England in the Women’s Six Nations at Scotstoun tomorrow night.

For information on refereeing courses and how you can get involved, visit the Munster Association Of Referees website: www.mar.ie