IRISH rugby official Joy Neville is to become the first female referee in history to officiate a men’s international match next month.
Rugby Europe announced that Ms Neville and Spanish ref Alhambra Nievas will take charge of upcoming men's internationals, becoming the first female referees ever to do so.
Limerick native Neville, a former Ireland international herself, will take charge of Norway’s match against Denmark on October 28.
Neville took charge of the Women's Rugby World Cup final between New Zealand and England back in August, having begun refereeing following her retirement as a player in 2013.
She recently became the first female assistant referee to officiate in a European rugby match during a Challenge Cup clash between Bath and Bristol, and has since been an assistant referee in the Guinness Pro14.
"Joy has proven time and again her ability as a referee," David McHugh, IRFU referee performance manager, said.
"She has an astute rugby brain and great empathy for the players and this combination, coupled with a strong work ethic, has enabled her to continue to reach new heights as a referee.
Patrick Robin, the Rugby Europe Referee Manager, said: “Rugby Europe is the first Region to allow female referees to run international games of Men’s rugby Championship.
Limerick native Ms Neville has already officiated as an assistant referee in a number of European men's games (Picture: Getty)Spain's Nievas, who was named Referee of the Year 2016 at the World Rugby Awards, will take charge of the Conference 2 division of Rugby Europe game between Finland and Norway on October 14.
Nievas was an assistant referee for a recent men’s match between USA and Tonga and officiated in the Rugby Sevens event at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Nigel Owens, widely considered one of the best professional referees rugby has seen, said he was pleased to see women finally getting a chance at officiating the men’s game.
"What's important here is that the two girls concerned have got here on ability – not for the sake of ticking boxes,” Owens said.
“The two of them are very deserving and they're there on merit and it's a huge thing to remember.
"It doesn't matter about the colour of our skin, whether you're a man or a woman, your sexuality or religious beliefs.
“None of that should matter one bit. If you're good at what you do, then you should have the opportunity to excel at that and referee at the level you deserve.”
He added: "These two are getting what they deserve from the hard work they've done."
