Hollie Davidson’s historic run at the Six Nations is not yet coming to an end after the latest confirmation on her role
Hollie Davidson has already made history at the Six Nations, but the referee isn’t stopping there.
The Scottish official became the first woman to referee a men’s Six Nations match at this year’s championship when she took charge of Ireland’s win against Italy in Dublin. Her performance in the thrilling clash was widely praised in what was a landmark moment in rugby.
However, she wasn’t scheduled to referee in Round Four due to match official appointments already decided prior to the beginning of the tournament. Davidson, 33, is set to make her return to officiating duties on Super Saturday in France’s home clash against England.
Hosted at the Stade de France in Paris, the Scotswoman will run the line as an assistant referee in the final weekend of the competition with Nika Amashukeli the referee for the match.
Davidson has previously broken down barriers in the world of rugby before the Six Nations and in an interview with The Guardian, she admitted she’s experienced sexism in her rise to becoming a referee at the top level.
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She said last month: “The big thing was, always, physically can she do it? Will she be able to keep up with the men’s game? What happens if she gets knocked over? Is her rugby knowledge there? How will players and fans react to her?
“That sexism is still there at points, but people now just want to see a game being well refereed. The beginning of my career was the most isolating and lonely point because you’re learning your craft and the resources and the right people around you are few and far between.”
She revealed she now has a support team in place, a far cry from the earlier years in her career. Davidson explained: “It’s different now. I arrive at a game with at least three of my colleagues.
“I’ve got my coach on the end of the line. I’ve got a manager and a sports psychologist, I’ve got all the support. But, at the beginning, you move into a space that feels very scary.”
Aiming to continue her rise in the sport, Davidson revealed that her “insane” dream is to one day officiate a men’s World Cup final. However, she did admit: “I need to do well in the Six Nations and then there’ll be a lot of knockout fixtures at the tail end of our domestic season. As long as I keep the head down, keep growing and reflecting, I’ll be in a good position.”
Elsewhere, Luke Pearce will referee Ireland vs Scotland with Angus Gardner and Damian Schneider as assistants, while Wales vs Italy will be officiated by Christophe Ridley, with Matthew Carley and Eoghan Cross running the line.
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