Sara Cox: Rugby referee to make history as first woman to take charge of Premiership match

Rugby referee Sara Cox continues to break new ground
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George Flood21 September 2021

Sara Cox will make more history this weekend when she becomes the first woman ever to referee a Premiership rugby fixture.

Cox is set to take charge at the Twickenham Stoop on Saturday afternoon when Harlequins meet Worcester in a battle of two teams looking to build on impressive opening wins over Newcastle and London Irish respectively in 2021/22.

On Monday night, Premiership Rugby posted on Twitter: “Huge congratulations to @SaraCoxRef.

“She’ll become the first woman to referee a #GallagherPrem league game on Saturday. Continually making history.”

Saturday will be the latest in a series of firsts for Cox, who last season became the first female assistant referee in Premiership history after working with Wayne Barnes and Christophe Ridley during Wasps’ victory over Bath at The Rec.

She became rugby union’s first professional female referee after being centrally contracted by the Rugby Football Union (RFU) in 2016 and is also the first woman to officiate matches in the men’s Premiership Rugby Cup, English Championship and National League 1.

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