Tara Jones will join the RFL’s Full-Time Match Officials Squad for 2025.
The 28-year-old has been a trailblazer for a number of years as a member of the RFL’s Grade One officials list, making historic appearances as a touch judge and referee at all levels – including refereeing her first Betfred League One match this season, and as a touch-judge in a number of Betfred Super League fixtures.
She has done that while starring at hooker for St Helens and England, for whom she was a World Cup semi finalist in 2022 and won a total of 14 caps – and had the distinction of being the first woman to score a try at Wembley in a senior fixture when Saints beat Leeds Rhinos in the Betfred Women’s Challenge Cup Final last year.
But she told her Saints team-mates ahead of their Betfred Women’s Super League Grand Final defeat against York Valkyrie on Sunday that she would be retiring to take up a full-time position with the RFL.
Phil Bentham, the RFL’s Head of Match Officials, said:
"I’m delighted that Tara will be joining our Full-Time Match Officials Squad for the 2025 season.
“It’s been a big decision for her to retire from a fantastic club and international playing career after this weekend’s Women’s Super League Grand Final.
“She’s had a brilliant season as a match official, becoming the first female official to referee Men’s League One and touch judge Men’s Super League.
“This significant appointment will see Tara become the first woman to join our full-time squad, since its inception in 2006.
“She will combine her full-time MO role with work as an ambassador for woman officials, primarily focusing on the recruitment and development of a new cohort.We have seen a massive growth in the women's game and it's vital that we see similar growth in our pool of women officials."
Stuart Barrow, the Head Coach of England Women, said:
"Tara has been an outstanding player for club and country, at such an exciting time for Women’s Rugby League – and she was an integral part of our 2022 World Cup campaign.
“It has taken remarkable dedication and commitment to combine that with her development as a match official.
“With those qualities, all of us in the England Women set-up look forward to watching her develop as member of the Full-Time Match Officials Squad, and as an outstanding role model for Women and Girls in the sport.”
