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Hollie Davidson set to make history with Boks

By PA
Hollie Davidson (Photo by Dan Mullan/The RFU Collection via Getty Images)

Hollie Davidson will make rugby union history on Saturday when she becomes the first woman to referee world champions South Africa in a Test match.

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The Scottish official will take charge of the Springboks’ clash against Portugal in Bloemfontein.

“I think it will be a really energetic game at altitude, so that is a challenge in itself, but I think the occasion will be fantastic,” Davidson told Scottish Rugby following her appointment to the fixture.

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    “Sometimes when you get these appointments you are a little taken aback, so it is good to always reflect on where you started to where you are now.

    “I very much see this as part of the journey to getting to the World Cup in 2027, so a good stepping stone.”

    Fixture
    Internationals
    South Africa
    64 - 21
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    Portugal
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    It comes just five months after she was the first female referee to be part of an on-pitch officiating team for a men’s Six Nations fixture.

    Davidson was one of the assistant referees when England met Wales at Twickenham in February.

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    She controlled Portugal’s encounter against Italy in 2022, meanwhile, and refereed Canada versus Romania in Ottawa last weekend.

    Davidson is also scheduled to referee the Pacific Nations Cup Test between Japan and the United States in Saitama on September 7.

    South Africa have never met Portugal before, and they go into the game – their final fixture before the Rugby Championship – following a drawn Test series against Ireland.

    Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus has made wholesale changes from the side beaten by Ireland in Durban, including starts for uncapped forwards Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Johan Grobbelaar and Phepsi Buthelezi.

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    Comments

    4 Comments
    H
    Hellhound 371 days ago

    Congrats Holly, hope you have a great game. You deserve to move up. You worked hard for it.

    D
    Dan 371 days ago

    As long as she is more Karl Dickson than Pearce, Whitehouse and Barnes, she'll do great.

    J
    JK 371 days ago

    I’d do her…I kid. Nice to see more gender equity

    T
    TI 371 days ago

    Congratulations to her. Let’s hope for a fair game, as uneventful as possible for the refs.

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