A gong for Sara!

Exeter’s Sara Cox has received an MBE for services to rugby union from The Princess Royal at Windsor Castle.

She spoke with Princess Anne, who is Patron of the Scottish Rugby Union, about technology in the sport and rugby in general and added: “It has been an amazing experience and one I will never forget.”

Cox, the world's first professional female rugby referee, has officiated at three Rugby World Cups.

She was an assistant referee in 2014, a referee in 2017 and the delayed 2021 event held in New Zealand in 2022, where she was part of an all-female officiating lineup.

She has also refereed in two Olympics, initially as the only English referee for rugby sevens at Rio 2016, followed by Tokyo where she refereed the gold medal match, and has officiated at the Commonwealth Games, Six Nations and international Test matches.   

"I feel very privileged to have been awarded an MBE," she said when recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours last June.

"Refereeing has given me some amazing opportunities and, if in doing my job to the best of my ability, I am able to motivate and inspire others to give officiating a go then that’s an added bonus.

“With significant growth in the numbers of women and girls playing rugby in England there is no better time to get involved in the game as a referee. I’d encourage everyone to give it a go."

Cox was centrally contracted by the RFU in 2016 and was the first female to referee a Premiership Rugby league and cup game. She took up the whistle having played rugby for Collumpton and Exeter Saracens.

Very much a team player, she values her referee colleagues and working as a team of three.

"After the match you are back in the England Rugby referee department reviewing the game, which is essential," she says.

"Looking at errors is how you learn. It’s good to have all the positive support but my primary focus is on the job and learning from each game. I couldn’t be more grateful for all the opportunities the game of rugby has given me and I would really love women referees to become the norm. I want to grow interest, motivate others, while doing my job, which is to be out there in the middle of a rugby pitch.”