Daly, who only started refereeing in 2020, has worked incredibly hard to establish herself as one of the top Women’s referees in the country.
Her remarkable progress is a testament to the renewed focus on development and opportunities for female referees within the IRFU system.
As part of her preparation for this month’s Under-20 tournament, she refereed two matches between the Ireland and Canada U-20 Women’s teams at the IRFU High Performance Centre in May.
The second game marked a significant milestone as it was officiated by a full team of five female officials – referee Daly, assistant referees Alana Kerr and Caitlin Fisher, and Sara Buratovic and Aude de Casanove as the fourth and fifth officials.
Daly refereed several Energia All-Ireland League Women’s Division fixtures this season, including the semi-final between UL Bohemian and Blackrock College. She also took charge of the Energia All-Ireland Women’s Junior Cup final between Malone and MU Barnhall.
SIOBHAN DALY PROFILE
When did you start refereeing? 2020.
Why did you start refereeing? I used to play rugby and really missed being involved in the game. I started refereeing other codes, e.g. Touch rugby, but wanted to challenge myself in the 15-a-side game.
What did you enjoy most about the recent games at the High Performance Centre? I loved working with a team of fellow females. Getting used to working with the communication equipment was fun too. It was also really good to receive so much support from the IRFU Referee Department. We were so well looked after and were coached in both games which allowed us, as a team of officials, to develop our individual and team skills.
What advice would you give to any woman interested in taking up refereeing? Just do it, you will really enjoy it.
We wish Siobhán all the very best for the Six Nations Summer Series in Wales, and look forward to hearing more about her journey as a match official.
These are just five of a small but growing number of female referees in Ireland. With the Women’s Rugby World Cup just a few months away, the attention of the nation will be turning to that event. There is no better time to give refereeing a go.
If interested in refereeing, the Provincial Referee Managers would be delighted to hear from you. Further information about refereeing, including their contact details, can be found here.
