From injury to history – Davidson’s rise to ref European final

Hollie Davidson continued to play rugby until she realized she would never be able to achieve her goals of becoming the biggest player on the planet.

Instead, she chose a different path that would make her a top referee in the world.

The Scot will become the first woman to referee a European showpiece on Friday night in Cardiff when she takes charge of Bath against Lyon in the Challenge Cup final.

It is the most recent milestone in the 32-year-old’s career, which appears to be moving in a positive direction.

Prior to that, Davidson wanted to play in the Tests and become a player.

She was about to join the Scotland squad as a talented half-back who could play scrum-half or fly-half until fate intervened.

Davidson tells the BBC’s Scotland Rugby Podcast, “I was 19 going on 20 and I was invited up to my first senior women’s Scotland camp.”

“I was chosen to take home my first cap against the Netherlands,” I was told.

Unfortunately, I injured my shoulder the weekend before we were supposed to leave.

I spent the following years with the injury, subsequent surgeries, and I simply couldn’t get back into that set-up.

I was “gutted,” I said. When you approach something you want so much, it’s brutal.

A cool, confident figure can be seen when you see Davidson playing rugby.

She behaves the same way in interviews. You can see why she commands players’ respect because of her engaging personality and excellent communication skills.

However, it took some time to build that confidence. Beginning as a young female referee presented challenges.

According to Davidson, “I actually believe the initial stages are probably the most challenging when trying to forge that reputation.”

You’re going to clubs without a female official, perhaps, that have never had one. That is a lot of work in and of itself.

Then, as you get older, people in Scotland start to know you. I was probably doubting myself by entering those settings, thinking, “Oh, gosh, they think I’m a female ref; how are they going to be with me?”

They actually don’t care, they say. So I’m now recognizing that’s where I should be.

Davidson discusses taking over a match between the Sharks and Munster in the United Rugby Championship.

Davidson says she felt completely at ease despite being next to “two powerhouses of our sport” when the two captains, Eben Etzebeth and Tadhg Beirne, arrived for the pre-match coin toss.

The big moments kept coming. She was the first woman to referee the world-champion Springboks last year and became the first woman to do so in 2021’s Women’s Rugby World Cup final.

She is constantly raising the bar for her own ambitions, thanks to a second chance to reach heights that she was unable to do when she was a child.

According to Davidson, “the big one would be to ref a men’s Six Nations game.”

When the Six Nations arrive, it’s like an absolute pinnacle every year, outside of the World Cup.

“That is what caused me to fall in love with this game,” she said. Our schools travel by bus from Murrayfield to Murrayfield. It would be completely out of this world for anyone who wanted to be a part of that. Simply put, I believe it would surpass everything I’ve accomplished so far.

If that occurs, I’d be in contention to compete for the men’s World Cup in Australia in 2027, but the men’s World Cup won’t be played before a Six Nations game.