The Big Interview: Joy Neville - Breaking up the boys club

When she retired from playing rugby, Joy Neville scoffed at the consolation of reffing. But a friend set her a challenge she couldn’t back away from. And now she blazes a trail to new milestones on an almost weekly basis. Yet having gone full-time with the IRFU, she’s not afraid to admit when she’s made a mistake

She could hear the sniggering in the corner. Some guy like Cam Newton, thinking it was funny to hear a female referee talk about straight dives and good binds. Funny! It left Joy Neville in something of a bind herself. Should she just let it pass or challenge the smirker in front of the whole dressing room?

That’s when experience kicked in. A tough experience, a tough lesson learned.