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Hollie Davidson to make yet more history at the 2026 Six Nations
By Josh Raisey
Hollie Davidson is set to become the first female ever to take charge of a men’s Six Nations match at next year’s Championship, following the announcement of the match officials by World Rugby.
Just weeks after being crowned the World Rugby referee of the year for 2025, Davidson will make her Guinness Six Nations debut in Dublin when she officiates the round two clash between Ireland and Italy at the Aviva Stadium.
She will not be the only one debuting during the Championship, as France’s Luc Besson will be the man in the middle for the first time in round five when Italy host England in Rome. Japan’s Katsuki Furuse will also make his tournament bow as an assistant in round one.
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A team of 14 referees will be used across the 15 matches to be played in February and March, with Karl Dickson being the only official to preside over two matches.
Wales’ round three meeting with Scotland at the Principality Stadium will be another landmark occasion, as Matthew Carley will take charge of his 50th Test match.
The list of 14 referees is: Karl Dickson (RFU), Ben O’Keeffe (NZRU), Pierre Brousset (FFR), Hollie Davidson (SRU), Nika Amashukeli (GRU), James Doleman (NZR), Andrea Piardi (FIR), Matthew Carley (RFU) and Andrew Brace (IRFU), Angus Gardner (RA), Luc Ramos (FFR), Luke Pearce (RFU), Christophe Ridley (RFU) and Nic Berry (RA).
World Rugby High-Performance 15s Match Officials Manager Joël Jutge said: “As we look ahead to another busy and exciting year of international rugby, we remain focused on delivering high performance through consistency, clarity and accountability. Like any high-performance team, we are relentless in our pursuit of growth, with a strong ability to review, learn and move forward in collaboration with the game’s major stakeholders.
“The team is highly motivated to set the highest standards and we recognise the need to double-down on aiding game flow and ensuring consistency of decision-making when it comes to permanent red cards and 20-minute red cards. This means, any foul play meeting the yellow card threshold will go to the bunker for review, while the permanent red card remains for acts of intentional foul play. With that in mind, we are fully committed to strengthening alignment and shared understanding with coaches, broadcasters and fans ahead of the Six Nations.”
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