Holly Davidson has been announced as one of the referees on the World Rugby panel for the upcoming Quilter Nations series.
Who is Holly Davidson?
Davidson broke records recently, becoming the first referee to officiate two Women’s Rugby World Cup finals after referring both the 2021 final between New Zealand and England, and the 2025 final four years later between Canada and England.
The 33 year old was an amateur scrum half during her time on the pitch, before the Scot switched to refereeing in 2015. Since then, she has been internationally celebrated for her skilled officiating, recently earning the prestigious title World Referee of the Year at the end of the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025.
However, Davidson’s career has revolved around the men’s game just as much as the women’s game, with 12 of her 46 Tests refereed being men’s international fixtures.
This number is set to rise, as she has been announced as officiating Wales vs New Zealand at the Principality Stadium on November 22. She will also be heading up the game between Portugal and Hong Kong China the week before in Lisbon.
Which nations take part in the Quilter Nations Series?
The Quilter Nations Series is an annual rugby union tournament that occurs every November during the international window.
All four home nations - England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, play the biggest names in southern hemisphere rugby - namely South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina across five weeks.
The tournament also includes the rest of the Six Nations teams Italy and France, as well as the likes of Japan, Fiji, USA, Chile and Tonga.
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