Hollie Davidson Wins 2025 World Rugby Referee Award

Days after being confirmed to take charge of her second Rugby World Cup final, Scotland’s Hollie Davidson was presented with the World Rugby Referee Award at the Women’s Rugby Global Summit in London.

Davidson is the second Scottish official, after Jim Fleming, and only the third ever female to receive the referee accolade, which World Rugby said: “recognises international men’s and women’s referees, in sevens or 15s, who have made a significant contribution to the game of rugby.”

Alhambra Nievas shared the award in 2016 with fellow Olympic Games gold medal match referee Rasta Rasivhenge, and Joy Neville was the second female referee  – she took charge of the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2017 final.

The Scottish official has been involved in the last three Women’s Rugby World Cup finals, having also been an assistant referee in her first tournament in 2017. At RWC 2025, Davidson has been involved in five games thus far, and the final will be her 9th Rugby World Cup match in total.

World Rugby Chair Brett Robinson said, “Referees are the soul of our game. Without them, rugby simply would not exist, and their invaluable contribution deserves to be celebrated.

Hollie has also been a true trailblazer, consistently breaking new ground and shattering glass ceilings for women in refereeing. Her remarkable achievements on the biggest stages have set new standards and opened doors for others to follow. We are in awe of what she has accomplished so far and deeply grateful for the inspiration she continues to provide for the next generation of match officials and players alike.”

• Holly Davidson has been in charge of 46 matches, and a quarter have been Men’s Tests.
• First woman to referee a Men’s Six Nations team in June 2022.
• Refereed the Women’s Rugby World Cup final in Sevens and 15s in 2022.
• First female assistant referee in both the Men’s Six Nations and Rugby Championship in 2024
• First to referee at the World Rugby U20 Championship (2024)
• Took charge of the European Rugby Challenge Cup final between Bath and Lyon in May 2025
• First female to referee two RWC finals – and only the third in history, with South Africa’s Andre Watson and Ed Morrison of England the others.

Photo Credit – Scottish Rugby

Su Carty, Chair of the Emirates Match Officials Selection Committee, added: “This award is a fitting recognition of Hollie’s outstanding career and her ability to referee at the very highest level of the game.

Time and again, she has demonstrated composure, authority and excellence in the middle, whether in women’s or men’s test matches. Her journey and success will undoubtedly inspire more and more people to pick up the whistle, and we are excited to see the lasting impact she will have on the future of officiating.”

World Rugby Referee Award recipients 2015-2025

• 2015 – Nigel Owens (Wales)
• 2016 – Alhambra Nievas (Spain) and Rasta Rasivhenge (South Africa)
• 2017 – Joy Neville (Ireland)
• 2018 – Angus Gardner (Australia)
• 2019 – Wayne Barnes (England)
• 2021 – Andrew Cole (Australia)
• 2022 – Tappe Henning (South Africa)
• 2023 – David McHugh (Ireland)

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