Wood to officiate PWR Final 86 days after giving birth to second child

Holly Wood will referee Sunday’s 2026 Premiership Women’s Rugby Final between Saracens and Trailfinders Women just 86 after she gave birth to her second child.

The former Harlequins and Richmond wing, who took up refereeing at the conclusion of her playing career, gave birth to her first child, Huxley, in 2023 and welcomed her daughter, Adaline, into the world in April.

In an interview with PWR, Wood revealed that she learned of her second pregnancy as she prepared to officiate at Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025.

Wood opted to keep the pregnancy a secret during the tournament, was a lead official until the 20th week of her pregnancy and was an assistant until the end of her second trimester.

The official returned to refereeing seven weeks postpartum when she took charge of a men’s Division One County Cup game in May and was involved in PWR’s Round 17 a week later.

“We are the best league in the world, and it is an honour and a privilege to be given the whistle for this game,” Wood told PWR. “I understand the weight and history of the league and I want to do a good job to do the game a service.

“I always had the PWR Final in the back of my mind. I went to the World Cup last summer, and I found out I was pregnant three weeks before that.

“During the World Cup, I wanted my selection, especially in the knockout stages, to be purely on my performance and not related to anything else that was going on externally.

“I have officiated in 33 games this season, so it doesn’t feel like I have had a season out at all, which is amazing.”

A 5k run that kick-started the labour for Adaline’s birth. It was a process that Wood described as “rapid” and praised her husband and support network for their help.

Both as a player and an official Wood has been a trailblazer. The highlight of her time as a player came a decade ago at the Twickenham Stoop. The same venue Sunday’s PWR Final will take place as Trailfinders Women try to overcome Saracens.

Wood said: “My journey has been from a player to referee and then doing motherhood throughout refereeing. It just shows that it is possible.

“You also have a community with your societies, the friends that you make, and the journey you can go on. Before my son turned one, he had been to 10 countries with me on World Rugby duty.

“For me, rugby is the ultimate family sport. My mum played rugby, and I had my teen years on the sideline of the rugby pitch watching her play.

“The family element has always been really important to me, as has breaking down barriers. The referee is human, we do have a family, we have day jobs, and we care about the game just as much as anyone.”