Hollie Davidson: From speed bump to a 'giant' in the game
Hollie Davidson, during her playing days, was nicknamed the speed bump. As a referee, the diminutive match official is no pushover!
Tappe Henning, the United Rugby Championship’s Head of Match Officials, described the slightly built (1.65m/5 ft 5 in) referee as a ‘special talent’.
Maybe he is biased.
After all, he identified this gem as Scottish Rugby’s Referee Commissioner back in 2017 already.
Her rise has been meteoric.
In July last year, Davidson refereed a test match between South Africa and Portugal in Bloemfontein, becoming the first woman to referee a Springbok match.
She has also refereed in two women’s World Cup Finals.
However, if the stars align for the Scot, she could be the first woman to referee a men’s World Cup Final.
Henning said the ‘process’ with Davidson started in 2017.
“During her first refereeing courses, the questions she asked, her knowledge of the game, and her inquisitive way of talking about the game raised attention,” the URC referees boss said.
“Her talent [as a referee] was so obvious it could not be ignored.”
Having recognised her talent, the URC started giving Davidson opportunities, along with Joy Neville, who broke the proverbial glass ceiling to become the first woman to take charge of a Pro14 match when she refereed Ulster against the Southern Kings in Belfast.
(WATCH as URC Head of Match Officials, Tappe Henning, reveals the true potential of Hollie Davidson…..)
Henning said the women are just as good as the men in their decision-making processes.
“They [the women] reached the physical pillar of demands for the games in URC, and we were pleased to explore.
“Holly, with Joy, was at the forefront of breaking into the men’s world, and Hollie has continued that to the point we have appointed her for a couple of our quarterfinals in the last two years.
“She refereed that to a standard that we are really pleased with.”
That allowed her to referee South Africa against Portugal in Bloemfontein, in July last year, becoming the first woman to officiate a Springboks match.
She has also had games between South Africa and Italy.
Henning has backed Davidson, who has taken charge of the last two Women’s World Cup Finals and the Challenge Cup final between Bath and Lyon in May, to referee at a men’s World Cup.
“Hollie is growing and showing the potential to reach a men’s World Cup Final as a referee.”
He added that the 33-year-old match official has responded to all of the challenges put in front of her.
“Hopefully, in two years, her development is at a stage that she will get to the men’s World Cup [in Australia].
“I am confident, with the talent and potential that I have seen, Hollie can go to a men’s World Cup, maybe the next World Cup in two years or maybe the one after that,” added Henning.
The players are treating Davidson as a referee and not as a woman.
“We in the URC have started our next challenge of where our next Hollie is coming from.
“We have a contenders panel, and we have identified girls within our territories.
“We will give them attention over the next two to three years to see if they can reach the threshold where we are comfortable bringing them into our environment.”
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