Hollie Davidson
Height1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
SchoolAboyne Academy
UniversityUniversity of Edinburgh
Occupation(s)Rugby union referee
Rugby union career
Position(s) Scrum half
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
- Murrayfield Wanderers
Edinburgh University RFC		 ()
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2010-12 Scotland U20s
Refereeing career
Years Competition Apps
2017-
2018-
2018
2018
2019-
2019-
2021
2021-
2022		 Women’s Sevens Series
Rugby Europe
Commonwealth Games
Rugby World Cup Sevens
Women's Six Nations
Super 6
Pro14
URC
1872 Cup

Hollie Davidson is a professional rugby union referee who is contracted with the Scottish Rugby Union.[1]

Playing career

Davidson began playing competitive rugby when she was 14.[2] She played at scrum-half for Murrayfield Wanderers, one of the most successful women's rugby union teams in Scotland. During her time there she was known as the speed bump,[3] but a shoulder injury put an end to her playing career.[4]

At Edinburgh University she played for the women's rugby side winning the BUCS final.[5]

Davidson played for Scotland U20's for 2 seasons from 2010-12[4][6] One week before she was due to receive a senior cap she dislocated her shoulder.[7]

Referee career

Professional career

In 2015 Davidson joined the SRU's refereeing course, when a new course was held on Saturdays.[6] Prior to this time the refereeing courses were held on Sunday, the same day as women's professional rugby matches, thus making it impossible for women to train as referees.[2] Davidson became Scottish Rugby Union's first full time professional women's referee in 2017.[3] In 2018, Davidson was Assistant Referee for the Glasgow Warriors v Zebre match in the Pro14.[8]

In 2019 Davidson became the first woman to referee in the Melrose Sevens.[9] On 16 November 19 she refereed the Stirling County v Southern Knights match in the Super 6.[10] In January 2021 Davidson was appointed to officiate a men's professional match for the first time.[11] That match, and a subsequent match to which she was appointed, were cancelled, and she was then appointed in March 2021 to a further Pro 14 Fixture.[12] She refereed her first Pro14 fixture on 19 March 2021; a Munster v Benetton match, winning plaudits from the Munster Head Coach Johann van Graan: "I thought the referee was very good. She was very calm, she communicated to the players exceptionally well before the game. I felt she handled the game really well and I think a real good step forward for her and was very pleased with her performance."[13]

Davidson refereed the 1872 Cup match on 18 March 2022 between Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh Rugby in the United Rugby Championship.[14]

International career

From 2017 Davidson has refereed in the World Rugby Women's Sevens.[15] In 2018 she refereed in the Rugby Europe, the Commonwealth Games and the Rugby World Cup Sevens

Davidson has refereed in the 2019 Women's Six Nations Championship in the Wales v Ireland match on 17 March 2019.[3]

In 2021 Davidson was chosen as one of the referees for the rugby 7's tournament at the delayed 2020 Summer Olympics[16]

In 2022 she was appointed to an all-women team of match officials for a men's test match in Lisbon between a Tier 1 side, Italy, and the host Portugal.[17] Davidson handed 3 yellow cards (2 to Italy, one to Portugal) and the game was won 38-31 by Italy.

In November 2022 Davidson was appointed to referee the final of the 2021 Rugby World Cup between hosts New Zealand and England.[18]

In 2023 Davidson was the only female member of the panel of referees for the 2023 World Rugby U20 Championship. She was also appointed to be an assistant referee in 3 full international warm-up matches for the 2023 Rugby World Cup. [19]

Outside of rugby

Davidson has a degree in Economic History from Edinburgh University.[4] Before being a professional referee, Davidson was a Fund Accounting Specialist at J. P. Morgan.

References

  1. ↑ "Zebre Rugby team to face Connacht Rugby". Guinness PRO14. 5 April 2019.
  2. 1 2 Scottish Rugby referee Hollie Davidson, retrieved 30 May 2022
  3. 1 2 3 "Hollie Davidson's Six Nations debut". Scottish Rugby Union. 20 March 2019.
  4. 1 2 3 McDonald, Sally. "Scotland's first full-time female rugby referee can't wait to jet off to San Francisco for World Cup Sevens".
  5. ↑ Scrum, The (29 September 2016). "Former under-20 cap Hollie whistling a new tune".
  6. 1 2 Third, Paul (14 June 2017). "Aboyne's Hollie Davidson enters the history books".
  7. ↑ "Hollie Davidson happy to blow whistle on route to top rugby refereeing". www.scotsman.com.
  8. ↑ "Preview: Glasgow Warriors v Zebre". Guinness PRO14.
  9. ↑ "Tweet". twitter.com. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  10. ↑ Morrison, Iain (16 November 2019). "Super6: honours even for Stirling County and Southern Knights". The Offside Line.
  11. ↑ "Scottish referee Hollie Davidson to referee first men's match in Challenge Cup". www.bbc.co.uk. 6 January 2021.
  12. ↑ "Hollie Davidson and Joy Neville to undertake referee and TMO roles at Munster-Benetton game". www.bbc.co.uk. 16 March 2021.
  13. ↑ "Munster Rugby's Johann van Graan praises referee in ground-breaking fixture". www.limerickleader.ie.
  14. ↑ "Glasgow Warriors-vs-Edinburgh Rugby - United Rugby Championship". www.unitedrugby.com.
  15. ↑ "Hollie Davidson - the pioneer with 'the whole refereeing package'". BBC Sport. 13 June 2017.
  16. ↑ "Scottish Rugby duo selected to referee at Tokyo Olympics Games". Scottish Rugby Union. 16 April 2021.
  17. ↑ Media, P. A. (30 May 2022). "Hollie Davidson to lead first all-female officials team in men's rugby union Test". the Guardian. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  18. ↑ "Scotland's Hollie Davidson appointed to referee women's World Cup final". the National. 8 November 2022. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  19. ↑ "Hollie Davidson makes history (again) and sets sights on men's Rugby World Cup/". The Scotsman. 13 June 2023. Retrieved 6 September 2023.


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