Roughyeds set for refereeing history
10/04/2024
Boundary Park will host a moment of history on Sunday when Tara Jones becomes the first woman to referee a senior professional rugby league game in the northern hemisphere.
The 27-year-old plays for St Helens and England alongside her role as a match official, and will take charge of Oldham versus Cornwall in Betfred League 1.
It will be the second big milestone for Jones, who scored the first ever try in a women’s Challenge Cup Final at Wembley last August.
Phil Bentham, the RFL’s Head of Match Officials, said:
“Tara has earned this opportunity after years of steady development as a match official through the community game and as a regular touch judge and in-goal judge for professional matches
.“She has received high-profile appointments in a number of competitions, including this season’s Betfred Challenge Cup, and has impressed everyone with the way she has performed – earning the respect of players, coaches and her fellow match officials.
The Roughyeds are top of the table thanks to three wins out of three and are urging fans to be part of an exciting new era at Boundary Park, as the club bids for promotion to the Championship this season.