Tara Jones to referee New Zealand v Samoa semi-final — SkimNews
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- Tara Jones will referee New Zealand's women against Samoa in the semi-final on Saturday, 7 November, in Newcastle, New South Wales, going one stage further at the tournament than either England side managed this time around.
- Tara Jones reached the 2022 Rugby League World Cup semi-final as an England player against New Zealand and will now officiate New Zealand against Samoa, the side she faced four years ago.
- Tara Jones won a Women's Super League title, two League Leaders' Shields and four Challenge Cups with St Helens, becoming the first woman to score a try in a Challenge Cup final at Wembley in 2023 before retiring in 2024.
- Tara Jones was made an MBE for services to the sport at 30 and became the first woman to referee a men's Super League fixture in March.
- Tara Jones has handled three Women's World Cup games, including England's 70-6 victory over Wales on 17 October and two France matches against New Zealand and Fiji.
- Tara Jones joined the RFL match officials department full-time two years ago and is one of three UK-based officials at her first major international tournament, alongside Liam Moore and Chris Kendall.
- Tara Jones said she turned to officiating after being told at Under-11s that she could not continue because opportunities for girls were few; at 12, she had to send off a misbehaving sideline parent.
Why it matters: For the RFL and women in rugby league, Jones’s appointment puts a former player at the tournament’s top level: at 30, she became the first woman to referee a men’s Super League fixture and handled three World Cup games before the 7 November semi-final. Her exclusion at Under-11s and hope of inspiring girls give the RFL a visible example.
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