FORMER INTERNATIONAL BACK row Joy Neville is one of three Irish officials named to take charge during this summer’s Women’s Rugby World Cup on these shores.
Neville and Sean Gallagher are among nine referees named for the August tournament, while Helen O’Reilly has been appointed as one of the five assistant referees.
“It’s great that all three of us are involved. Helen is a very talented referee and I would have loved to have seen all three of us refereeing in it,” Neville told The42 this afternoon.
“It’s down to competition and it’s brilliant that three of us are involved, it’s wonderful.”
Limerick native Neville went to two World Cups and won a Grand Slam as a player with Ireland before taking up the whistle and setting a personal goal to return to the World Cup in a new capacity.
“I retired the year before the last World Cup and I went to support the girls in France. To think then that I’d be involved playing in two and refereeing in one, it’s something I’m very proud of and I’m delighted I’ve been given the opportunity. I’ve worked hard for it, but… yeah, I’m over the moon.”
Among Neville’s peers will be Australian Amy Perrett who refereed the 2014 World Cup final and another woman with World Cup pedigree as a player, South African Aimee Barrett.
The individual match appointments have yet been announced.
“I’m really happy with the performance of those selected over the last season and it was very difficult to narrow it down to a panel of nine referees and five assistant referees,” match official manager Alain Rollaind said in a statement released by World Rugby.
“The competition at the top level of the women’s game has grown rapidly, even since the last World Cup in 2014, and I’m confident the panel will match that and perform well at the elite level.”
The World Cup will be played from 9 to 26 August in Dublin and Belfast.
WRWC 2017 referees
Amy Perrett (Australia), Graham Cooper (Australia), Tim Baker (Hong Kong), Joy Neville (Ireland), Sean Gallagher (Ireland), Sara Cox (England), Claire Hodnett (England), Aimee Barrett (South Africa) and Alhambra Nievas (Spain)
WRWC 2017 assistant referees
Rose Labreche (Canada), Beatrice Benvenuti (Italy), Marie Lematte (France), Helen O’Reilly (Ireland) and Ian Tempest (England).
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
