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Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
FORMER Zimbabwe Rugby Union (ZRU) vice-president Martin Shone has praised Precious Pazani, the country’s leading female rugby referee, for her outstanding achievements.
In a recent ground-breaking feat, Pazani is set to become the first African referee from outside South Africa to officiate in the prestigious Guinness Women’s Six Nations Championships.
The monumental milestone marks another significant step in Pazani’s illustrious refereeing career.
“Pazani’s remarkable achievements are a testament to her hard work, dedication and passion for rugby. As a trailblazer in Zimbabwean rugby, she has inspired countless young women and girls to take up the sport. Her success is not only a victory for herself, but also for her country and the global rugby community. We celebrate her achievements and look forward to seeing her continue to make waves in the world of rugby,” said Shone.
The Women’s Six Nations Championship, contested between the women’s national teams of England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, and Wales, will take place from 22 March to 26 April 2025.
Pazani will join an esteemed panel of 13 officials representing nine nations, boasting an impressive 289 tests between them.
Pazani has shown exceptional refereeing skills and dedication to the sport.
Her historic participation in the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Cape Town, South Africa, in September last year marked her as the first Zimbabwean rugby referee to officiate at the World Cup finals.
She has also been to the men’s Under-20 Six Nations Championship and the 2022 men’s Rugby Africa Cup finals.
Chair of the Women’s Emirates World Rugby Match Officials Selection Committee Su Carty said: “2025 is a massive year for the women’s game with a record number of international fixtures, competitions and, of course, an era-defining Women’s Rugby World Cup England 2025. This represents a generational moment for the women’s game, our players and fans. But, it also marks a step change for our women’s game match official structures.
“We are a year into embedding a new structure with talent development, specialist coaching and robust performance review, all geared towards widening the pool of international quality match officials. The appointments on the road to England 2025 reflect that mission. This is an exciting time for all.”
World Rugby Women’s High-Performance Referee Manager Alhambra Nievas said: “For the first time, we will be able to appoint our match officials through to the Women’s Rugby World Cup warm-up matches. This is a result of our new structure and a reset way of working with competitions and teams. We are excited about the journey ahead of us in what will be the biggest-ever year for women’s rugby.”
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