Tara Jones Will Referee Kiwi Ferns v Samoa, Four Years After Playing New Zealand in a World Cup Semi-Final for England
Tara Jones played hooker for England against New Zealand in the 2022 World Cup semi-final in York. On Saturday she will referee New Zealand’s semi-final against Samoa in Newcastle, the RFL and the BBC reported.
It means the former St Helens player has gone further at this World Cup than either of England’s teams.
Samoa, the side that knocked England out
Jones takes charge of the side that ended England’s tournament. Samoa beat England 24-6 to reach their first World Cup semi-final, with a hat-trick from Freedom Crichton Ropati. Their opponents, the Kiwi Ferns, are the team that beat Jones and England in York in 2022.
Jones refereed England’s win over Wales at this World Cup, then two France games, against New Zealand and Fiji. She is one of three Super League referees at the tournament, with Liam Moore and Chris Kendall.
“For the competition organisers to show the faith in her to referee in the knockout stages demonstrates what a high calibre of performances she has put together so far in this World Cup,” said Andy Smith, general manager of the RFL’s match officials department. He called her “one of the world’s top officials”.
From St Helens hooker to the middle
Jones was born in Germany, where her father was serving in the Army, and grew up in Warrington. At St Helens she won a Women’s Super League title, two League Leaders’ Shields and four Challenge Cups, and in 2023 she became the first woman to score a try in a Challenge Cup final at Wembley, the BBC said. She retired a year later.
She joined the RFL’s match officials department full time two years ago. In March she became the first woman to referee a men’s Super League game, and she has been made an MBE. She is 30.
Why she picked up the whistle
Jones started refereeing because she was told she could not keep playing. “When I got to the end of Under-11s, I was then told I couldn’t carry on. Back then, the opportunities for girls to play rugby were few and far between,” she told BBC Radio Merseyside in March.
“I was a bit stubborn, and I was told that I couldn’t do something within the sport that I loved,” she said. She also remembered one of her first games: “I remember at 12 years of age sending off a parent who was stood on the sideline. You’ve got to have broad shoulders and stick up for yourself.”
Kiwi Ferns v Samoa: when and where
New Zealand play Samoa at McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle, at 5.45pm AEDT on Saturday 7 November, which is 6.45am on Saturday in the UK. Samoa will be without winger Freedom Crichton Ropati, who scored a hat-trick against England, after she was ruled out with an ankle injury in Friday’s 24-hour update, NRL.com reported. Anastasia Leatupue takes her place, and Fanua Rimoni comes in at lock. The Kiwi Ferns got there by beating PNG 40-12, after a late escape against Fiji.
The Jillaroos play Fiji in the other semi-final in Sydney on Sunday. Our guide to watching the World Cup lists the UK broadcasters, and the World Cup table has every result so far.
