JOY NEVILLE WILL retire from officiating at the end of the summer as she prepares to take up a new role with Connacht as theirย Referee Development Manager.
Neville will work with key provincial personnel to recruit, educate and retain referees to provide for the needs of the game, as well as to develop referees from Trainee Referee to National Panel.
The Limerick native has enjoyed a decorated career as both a player and a rugby referee. Neville took charge of the Womenโs Rugby World Cup final in 2017 and was also awarded the World Rugby Referee Award in the same year. She was the first woman to officiate at a menโs Rugby World Cup after she was selected as a television match official for last yearโs tournament in France.
As a player, she won 70 caps for Ireland, winning a Six Nations Grand Slam in 2013. She also captained the team during the 2009 Six Nations and featured in two World Cup tournaments.
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— Connacht Rugby (@connachtrugby) January 15, 2024
Connacht Rugby can today confirm that Joy Neville joins the club to take up a new role as Referee Development Manager ๐ข๐ฆ
Read more: https://t.co/Uo40y0ympS#ConnachtRugby | ๐ธ @INPHOjames pic.twitter.com/j31oUCHBnD
โWhen I first took up the whistle after my playing career concluded, I could never have imagined the places the game would take me,โ Neville said.
โTo be involved in, firstly, the Womenโs Rugby World Cup final was a huge honour and to then progress through to the Menโs Rugby World Cup made me incredibly proud and itโs only when I look back now that I can truly appreciate those achievements.
โTo all those who have helped foster my love of the game to this point, especially all my family, friends and mentors in and outside the game, thank you for your support.
โAlthough tinged with sadness as one hugely fulfilling chapter closes in my career, I am delighted that I can continue my career in Irish rugby with such an ambitious group in Connacht. Iโm grateful for this opportunity and excited to help develop the next crop of match officials across the province in the new year.โ
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