Joy Neville makes history as first female PRO14 referee
Friday 9 February 2018 23:05, UK
Joy Neville became the first female official to referee in the Guinness PRO14 when she took charge of Ulster's 59-10 win over Southern Kings on Friday.
The 34-year-old was named World Rugby Referee of the Year in November, a month after taking charge of her first international between Norway and Denmark.
After winning 70 caps which included helping Ireland complete a Gram Slam on the way to claiming the Six Nations title in 2013, she took steps to become a referee.
Since then, Neville has progressed from serving as an assistant referee to taking charge of high-profile games such as the PRO14 fixture at Belfast's Kingspan Stadium.
Neville was the first female assistant referee to officiate in a men's European rugby match during Bath's Challenge Cup game against Bristol in 2016.
