‘Dream come true’ for top rugby referee Helen

Helen O’Reilly, the first woman to be selected for the IRFU National Referee Panel, last night described her historic appointment as "a dream come true".

The panel provides officials for the Ulster Bank League, the Guinness Pro12 and European competitions, with O’Reilly set to cut her teeth in the AIL Division 2A and 2B action next month.

A delighted O’Reilly last night said: “This latest news is a major dream come true; to get onto the national panel is huge when you are competing with all the major male referees in Ireland.