Hollie Davidson

Hollie Davidson is a professional rugby union referee who most recently made history by becoming the first-ever female to referee a Men’s Six Nations match. Contracted with the Scottish Rugby Union and given a Scotland referee cap in 2025, Hollie serves as an inspiration to other women navigating and thriving in male-dominated fields.

Beginning her career in rugby at age 14, she played scrumhalf for Murrayfield Wanderers and Scotland U-20s. One week before receiving a senior cap with Scotland, Hollie dislocated her shoulder, sadly ending her playing career. After joining a refereeing course, Hollie became the Scottish Rugby Union’s first full-time professional women’s referee and thus followed an incredible career in rugby refereeing. After refereeing the World Rugby Women’s Sevens, Hollie mediated in the Rugby Europe, Commonwealth Games, and Rugby World Cup Sevens, further growing her skill and refereeing acumen. In 2019, she refereed the Women’s Six Nations and became the first woman to referee in the Melrose Sevens. She was then appointed to officiate a men’s professional match for the first time, refereeing her first Pro14 fixture, only to be chosen as a referee for the rugby sevens tournament at the Tokyo Olympics. In 2022, she was appointed as the referee for the World Rugby Cup final between New Zealand and England, an incredible achievement and true testament to her ability. In 2023, she became the only female member of the panel of referees for the World Rugby U20 Championship and was an assistant referee for three international warm-up matches. The next year, she became the first female assistant referee in a men’s Six Nations match and the first woman to referee a Springboks match. 

In 2025, Hollie was the first female to referee a European final, the first woman to referee an All Blacks test match, and became the only other referee to oversee two Rugby World Cup finals after refereeing the Women’s Rugby World Cup final between Canada and England. Hollie has been featured in various media, including The Guardian and The Telegraph, and has been a guest on multiple podcasts, including the Rugby Referee podcast and The Official Scottish Rugby podcast. In 2025, she received the World Rugby Referee Award, becoming the second Scottish official since 2004 to win. 

Making history in the world of rugby has defined Hollie’s career from the start, reflecting her commitment and passion for the sport. Having learnt to perform to the highest standards, ensure the right calls are made, and create a fair sporting environment, all under the watchful eyes of thousands in the stands, underscores Hollie’s skill, knowledge and judgement, making her a fantastic addition to a multitude of events. With stories and experiences of the real highs and lows that occur within a game of rugby, Hollie is a figurehead of hope and motivation for other women learning to traverse the masculine and often isolating landscape that is professional rugby.