Joy Neville

Joy Neville (born on 24 July 1983) is a former Ireland women's rugby union international and a current rugby union referee.

Between 2003 and 2013, Neville made 70 appearances for the Ireland women's national rugby union team.

As a player, Neville represented Ireland at both the 2006 and 2010 Women's Rugby World Cups.

In 2006–07 her brother, Paul, captained Garryowen to an All-Ireland League, All-Ireland Cup and Munster Senior Cup treble.

He also played for Connacht and the Ireland national rugby sevens team.

Neville attended Salesian Secondary School where she played various sports including basketball, squash, association football, badminton and field hockey.

She initially concentrated on basketball and she was a member of a Salesian Secondary School basketball team that won an All-Ireland schools league title.

Neville was 16 and working at a local leisure centre when a colleague encouraged her to try women's rugby union.

She subsequently started playing for Shannon, who at the time were the only Limerick club with a women's team.

Neville represented Ireland at both the 2006 and 2010 Women's Rugby World Cups.

Between 2008 and 2012 Neville attended Limerick Institute of Technology where she completed a Bachelor's degree in social studies and social care.

She also began to work as a director of rugby union at LIT, coaching both men's and women's team.

After retiring as a player, Neville was approached by David McHugh, an IRFU referee performance officer, who invited her to become a referee.

In 2009 Neville captained the first Ireland team to defeat.

In 2009 she switched to UL Bohemians and would also go one to represent Munster, helping them win six Interprovincial titles.

She captained the team during the 2009 Women's Six Nations Championship, leading the Ireland women to their first win over France.

In the 2010 tournament she scored four tries – two against the United States in a 22–12 win and two against Kazakhstan in a 37–3 win.

In 2013 she was also a member of the first Ireland women's team to win the Six Nations, Grand Slam and Triple Crown titles.

After retiring as a player, Neville became a referee.

She was also a member of the Ireland team that completed a Grand Slam and won the 2013 Women's Six Nations Championship.

During her international career, Neville would also play for the Ireland women's national rugby sevens team.

In December 2013 she took charge of her first game, an U15 friendly between St Munchin's College and CBC.

She subsequently began refereeing Munster Schools Rugby Senior Cup matches.

By 2015 Neville was refereeing in the IRFU Women's Interprovincial Series.

In 2016 Neville served as an assistant referee for a European Rugby Challenge Cup game between Bath and Bristol, making her the first woman to officiate in a professional European rugby match.

In 2016, she became the first female referee to take charge of matches in the national leagues of Ireland, Wales and Italy as well as competitions such the British and Irish Cup, the European Rugby Challenge Cup and the Pro14.

After taking charge of a match in the latter competition, she also become the first woman to referee a top-level men's rugby union match in the United Kingdom.

On 20 March 2016 Neville made her debut as an international referee when she took charge of a Women's Six Nations Championship between Wales and Italy.

On 20 October 2016 Neville served as an assistant referee for a European Rugby Challenge Cup game between Bath and Bristol, making her the first woman to ever officiate in a professional European rugby match.

On 12 November 2016 Neville became the first woman to take charge of an All-Ireland League match when she refereed a game between Cork Constitution and Clontarf.

She has taken charge of matches in the Women's Six Nations Championship, the World Rugby Women's Sevens Series and the Women's Rugby World Cup, including the 2017 final.

In addition to refereeing women's rugby union, Neville has also achieved a number of firsts as a female referee in the men's game.

After Alhambra Nievas, she also became the second woman to referee a men's international match when she took charge of a 2017–18 Rugby Europe Conference match.

In 2017 Neville was also named World Rugby Referee of the Year.

Joy Neville grew up in the North Circular Road district of Limerick.

She was raised in a sporting family and had four brothers.

Her father, Ger Neville, played rugby union for UL Bohemians.

On 26 August 2017 Neville refereed the 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup Final between New Zealand and England.

She also served as a referee during the 2017–18 World Rugby Women's Sevens Series

On 23 September 2017 Neville became the first woman to referee an Excellence match when she took charge of a fixture between Petrarca and Lazio.