Sara Cox
MBE
Date of birth1990/91
Occupation(s)Rugby union referee
Rugby union career
Refereeing career
Years Competition Apps
2014–
2014–
2018–
2018–		 Women's Rugby World Cup
Women's Premiership
Premiership Rugby
Test match
Correct as of 3 November 2018

Sara Louise Cox[1] MBE (born 1990/91[2]) is an English rugby union referee and former rugby union footballer. In 2016, she became the world's first professional female rugby union referee, and in 2018 she became the first female to referee a Premiership Rugby Cup[3] match. On 25 September 2021, she became the first woman to referee a Premiership Rugby Union Match when she took centre field for a fixture between Harlequins and Worcester Warriors at the Stoop.[4]

Career

As a player, Cox played rugby for Exeter, Saracens, Cullompton and Plymouth Albion, and had trials for England U-21. Aged 17, she decided to retire from playing the sport after an injury, and took up refereeing instead,[2][5] initially part time, whilst also working for a waste management company.[6]

Cox officiated at the 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup in France.[7] In 2016, she became the first female referee to be centrally contracted by the Rugby Football Union (RFU), and the world's first professional female rugby union referee.[2][6][3] In the same year, she officiated the Women's Premiership final between Richmond and Saracens.[8][9] Cox officiated at the rugby sevens event at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.[2][10] She was the only English referee at the tournament.[11]

In February 2017, Cox became the first female to referee a National League 1 match.[12] In the same year, she was chosen by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) to officiate in the men's Challenge Cup,[9] and also officiated at the 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup in Ireland.[7]

In March 2018, Cox became the first female to referee a RFU Championship match, when she officiated a match between Cornish Pirates and Doncaster Knights.[5][3][12] She officiated at the rugby sevens event at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia.[10] In November 2018, Cox became the first female to referee a match between two Premiership Rugby teams, when she officiated a Premiership Rugby Cup fixture between Northampton Saints and Wasps at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry.[12][13][14] She was also selected as an assistant referee for November 2018 men's internationals between Hong Kong and Germany, and between Kenya and Germany. This was the first time that Cox had officiated in a men's international match.[15] In the same month, she officiated a women's international match between France and New Zealand.[13]

In August 2020, Cox became the first woman to officiate a Premiership Rugby league match, when she was one of Wayne Barnes' assistants for a fixture between Bath and Wasps.[16][17] In May 2021, she officiated the 2020–21 Premier 15s Final.[18]

On 25 September 2021, Sara Cox became the first woman to referee a Premiership Rugby League Match when she took centre field for a fixture between Harlequins and Worcester Warriors at the Stoop.[19] She had previously been selected as main official for a June 2021 fixture between Worcester and Gloucester, but that match was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[20]

In May 2022, Cox was selected as a referee for the delayed 2021 Rugby World Cup.[21]

Cox was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2023 Birthday Honours for services to rugby union football.[22]

References

  1. ↑ "King's Birthday Honours: Sarah Hunter and Ian Wright among those included". BBC Sport. 17 June 2023. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Meagher, Gerard (5 March 2017). "Sara Cox: 'I'd like to leave behind a legacy for other female referees'". The Observer. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 "Female referee Sara Cox to officiate at Premiership Rugby Cup match". BBC Sport. 31 October 2018. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  4. ↑ "Sara Cox makes history after becoming the first female referee in a Premiership fixture". The Independent. 20 September 2021. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  5. 1 2 "Cox breaks barriers in Championship". England Rugby. 8 March 2018. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  6. 1 2 "Sara Cox becomes first female rugby referee to join RFU match official team". The Independent. 10 December 2015. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  7. 1 2 "Match officials announced for Women's Rugby World Cup". Women's Rugby World Cup. 30 March 2017. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  8. ↑ Hall, Danny (8 March 2016). "For International Women's Day we talked to rugby referee Vicky Muir". Wilts and Glos Standard. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  9. 1 2 Rowan, Kate (8 November 2017). "Women referees go next level in men's rugby". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2 November 2018 – via The New Zealand Herald.
  10. 1 2 Powell, Jennie (9 March 2018). "Rugby referee Sara Cox makes a little bit of history". 4 The Love of Sport. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  11. ↑ Pillnick, Brent (12 July 2016). "Sara Cox: England's only referee at Rio 2016 Olympics excited by opportunity". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
  12. 1 2 3 Rowan, Kate (31 October 2018). "Sara Cox to make history as first female referee of match between Premiership teams". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  13. 1 2 "Sara Cox proud to be inspiration for female referees after making English rugby history". BBC Sport. 5 November 2018. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
  14. ↑ "Sara Cox to make English rugby history by refereeing in Premiership Rugby Cup". Sky Sports. 31 October 2018. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  15. ↑ "Referees selected for November internationals". England Rugby. 10 October 2018. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  16. ↑ "Sara Cox makes history after becoming the first female official in a Premiership fixture". The Daily Telegraph. 31 August 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  17. ↑ "Fans laud Cox's Premiership breakthrough". Rugby Pass. 2 September 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  18. ↑ "Allianz Premier 15s Final". Premier 15s. May 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  19. ↑ "Sara Cox makes history after becoming the first female referee in a Premiership fixture". The Independent. 20 September 2021. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  20. ↑ "Sara Cox referees Harlequins 35-29 Worcester and becomes first woman to oversee Premiership game". Sky Sports. 25 September 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  21. ↑ "ALL-FEMALE TEAM OF REFEREES TO TAKE CHARGE OF RUGBY WORLD CUP 2021". Rugby World Cup. 26 May 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  22. ↑ "No. 64082". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 June 2023. p. B18.
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