“I played rugby as a student at Cardiff Medical School but as a junior doctor I felt couldn’t commit to team training and matches so to stay involved with the game I love I thought I would start refereeing which I could manage around my commitments.
“There’s definitely something unique that draws you to rugby. For me it’s the camaraderie, the banter on the pitch and the support you get as referees. It’s my sport and certainly not something I wanted to give up when I had my children.
“It’s important to keep yourself sane and to do some things for yourself. Rugby is one of those things for me.
“It keeps me fit and active – knowing I’m refereeing on the weekend gives me good motivation to do some exercise for myself during the week.
“My daughter is keen to watch me refereeing, she enjoys telling people her mummy was on the telly so that’s definitely a source of motivation to keep going too. My son is still too young except to notice I’m not there!”
While refereeing comes with more challenges as a mother, it’s certainly something Francesca wants to make happen week after week.
“Beforehand I only had to manage my own time to get to games etc. Now, as a family, we basically know my Saturday afternoons are going to be taken up with a match and it’s nice for husband to have that time with the children but if I’m required for evening matches or anything else, I obviously have to check my husband is available to manage the childcare before accepting.
“Work has been very supportive too, accommodating the extra time demands for World Rugby commitments. I had previously acted as touch judge at women’s six nations games a number of years ago but the Women’s Six Nations Test would have been my first World Rugby appointment.”
Francesca is pleased with the increased opportunities for women in the game.
“Things have certainly progressed for female referees. When I first started, you were only allocated women’s games and there weren’t many of those so it’s great now to be able to progress up the ladder alongside male colleagues and officiate in the Specsavers Leagues and Cup matches.
“I had to stop altogether when I was pregnant, that was frustrating not to even be part of matches as a fourth official but the place of women in the sport is growing all the time.”
“I’m looking forward to getting back involved and starting again where I left off whenever rugby resumes, perhaps looking to do some sevens too.”
