Joy Neville To Make Officiating History In Autumn Nations Cup

Ireland’s Joy Neville, the Rugby World Cup 2017 final referee, will make history this November as she becomes the first female official to perform Television Match Official (TMO) duties in a men’s international when Wales face Georgia in the new Autumn Nations Cup.

It is another landmark appointment for the former Ireland international, who continues to break new ground and impress at the very highest level of the game.

Neville will be TMO for the Autumn Nations Cup showdown between Wales and Georgia at Parc y Scarlets on Saturday 21st November, where she will be joined by fellow IRFU High Performance referees Andrew Brace and Frank Murphy on assistant referee duties.

Neville will also be in the TMO seat for the meeting of Scotland and Fiji in the new eight-team competition on Saturday 28th November, as confirmed by World Rugby’s selection committee today. The Limerick native is joined by a high calibre of officials on TMO duty during the October and November Test window, including Wayne Barnes, Nigel Owens and Romain Poite.

Commenting on Neville’s appointment, World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont said: “We would like to congratulate Joy on her TMO appointments. As part of World Rugby’s transformational women’s strategy, we are committed to accelerating development of women in rugby through diversifying and normalising women in leadership positions, both on and off the field.

“Joy, like all the appointed referees, has earned this opportunity and we look forward to watching the referee panel back out officiating the game at the highest level.”

In addition to her men’s international TMO duties this Autumn, Neville will be in charge of the Women’s International between France and England on Saturday 14th November and the re-scheduled Women’s Six Nations game between Italy and Scotland on Sunday 6th December.