SA Woman Referee Secures Six Nations Appointment as Aimee Barrett-Theron Nears 50-Test Milestone
- A trailblazing South African rugby match official is on the brink of a rare global milestone in women’s Test rugby
- Her latest international appointments underline the country’s growing influence in elite women’s officiating
- The achievement comes amid renewed debate over refereeing consistency following controversial Six Nations decisions
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Halala. History is within touching distance for South Africa's Aimee Barrett-Theron as she closes in on becoming only the second woman in the world to officiate 50 Test matches.
Source: Getty Images
The only other woman to reach the milestone is England’s Sara Cox. Barrett-Theron will have the opportunity to join her in April when she takes charge of the Women’s Six Nations opener between France and Italy in Grenoble.
Should she reach the landmark, she will join an elite group of South African referees who have officiated 50 Tests, including Jonathan Kaplan, Craig Joubert and Jaco Peyper.
After the Six Nations fixture, Barrett-Theron will travel to the United States, where she is scheduled to officiate the Pacific Four Series clash between Canada and New Zealand in Kansas City on 17 April. Further Six Nations duties await, with the South African set to referee Scotland against France in Edinburgh on 9 May, underlining her status as one of the leading officials in the global women’s game.
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SA Rugby President Mark Alexander praised the organisation’s Referees Department for its continued investment in developing women match officials.
He said the department had done remarkable work in uplifting and upskilling women referees, adding that over the years Barrett-Theron had established herself as one of the top officials in world rugby and that reaching 50 Tests would be a richly deserved achievement.
Six Nations refereeing controversy sparks debate
Rugby refereeing standards have, however, come under scrutiny in recent weeks, with fans questioning inconsistencies in decision-making during the Six Nations.
A contentious call during a recent Six Nations fixture left Springboks supporters frustrated over what they viewed as uneven officiating.
The controversy centres on an incident that many South African fans believe mirrored one involving Springboks No 8 Jasper Wiese against Italy in 2025, an offence that resulted in a straight red card and a lengthy suspension.
Source: Getty Images
Ellis Genge incident compared to Jasper Wiese red card
On Saturday, 7 February 2026, during England’s Six Nations clash against Wales at Twickenham, Ellis Genge appeared to headbutt Welsh flanker Alex Mann. Unlike Wiese, Genge was penalised but avoided a red card, a decision that reignited debate around disciplinary consistency in the international game.
The incident occurred in the 13th minute with England already leading 10-0. Despite the apparent act of foul play, the referee awarded only a penalty. England went on to secure a commanding 48-7 victory.
Supporters were quick to compare the episode with Wiese’s dismissal during the second Test against Italy in Port Elizabeth last year. In that match, Wiese received a straight red card in the 21st minute for a headbutt on Italy prop Danilo Fischetti and was later handed a four-match ban.
Fans argue that the two incidents were strikingly similar, raising questions about why the sanctions differed and whether teams from the Southern Hemisphere are judged more harshly in major tournaments.
All Blacks icon speaks on tough Bok star
Briefly News previously reported that a former New Zealand star, Dan Carter, has spoken about a Springboks legend who was his toughest opponent during their playing days.
In a candid interview, he opened up on the former South African rugby star, a World Rugby Player of the Year winner, calling him the player “who tried to kill me every time we played.”
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Source: Briefly News
