WOMEN WHO INSPIRE

‘I kept my pregnancy a secret from the RFU’: the rugby referee officiating at six months’ pregnant

Holly Wood says the way she’s done it is not for all and that it raises eyebrows, but that attitudes at the RFU are changing.

Her flag clutched in one hand, the sight of assistant referee Holly Wood running up and down the Twickenham touchline during Harlequins’ Big Game women’s fixture looked nothing out of the ordinary to the casual fan inside the stadium.

But Wood, who is six and a half months pregnant, was actually marking her final involvement as a match official before putting her refereeing career on hold. “I’d never refereed at Twickenham, so it was a great game to sign off on,” she says. “My abs have started to strain a bit when I’m sprinting, so I won’t be able to do my job properly for much longer.”

If young girls are still thinking what sport to choose, then here is the answer: rugby. Rugby is the greatest game in the world!

Olga Surkova is a Ukrainian woman who is defying all odds. As a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Olga and her 4-year-old son had to flee their country and try and build a new life for themselves. Her history in rugby began in 2009, when she was a student. One of the University rugby coaches invited her to rugby trials, where she was selected for the team and fell in love with rugby. She was hooked on its philosophy, principles, and it helped her form my personality. Olga went on to become the captain of the national Ukrainian team, a multiple champion of Ukraine and Europe, and competed in many tournaments and made lifelong friends all over the world. Olga is so grateful that chose this incredible rugby path.

Olga shares that she was a very “realistic athlete” and understood that an athlete’s sports career is short; in 2015 she went on to do a judicial course. This is where her passion for being a rugby referee began. She loves that she found a way to always stay in the game of rugby. Olga knows that being a good referee in a match is very important, and she always ensures she is up to date with all rugby rules and material available.

“If you turn back to a year ago, a terrible disaster and grief happened in my country – the war. On the 24^th of February, life as we know it changed drastically. We all woke up with different desires and goals; we now worry about our country and loved ones each day. I don’t know when it will heal. We left everything and now have to build everything anew. My new French family are our guardian angels. Thanks to rugby and our international family, I have found the strength to return to the ranks and continue my career as a referee and children’s rugby coach.”