World Firsts for NZ Ref

North Canterbury’s Nicky Inwood made history this month as the first woman to officiate in a Six Nations women’s rugby match and the first to referee at England’s Twickenham Stadium. The 37-year-old controlled the match between England and Italy, the curtain-raiser to the men’s Six Nations clash between the same countries. “It is an absolute honour and delight to represent NZ as an international referee, and to be involved in a women’s Six Nations game is simply the best,” she said in the NZ Herald. A former player for Canterbury and Wanganui, Inwood represented the Black Ferns from 1989 to 1991. She has been a referee since 1999 and has officiated in two women’s rugby World Cups.