Tara Jones has no regrets over retirement after making history as referee

Tara Jones enjoyed a glittering playing career with St Helens and England but it is as a referee she is making rugby league history.

The 28-year-old created headlines last year by becoming the first female to take charge of a senior men’s fixture when she oversaw a League One encounter between Oldham and Cornwall.

At the time she was combining officiating with playing and a regular job but, as the refereeing progressed, it was clear a new career path was opening up for Saints women’s record appearance-maker.

In the autumn she announced her retirement to focus entirely on that opportunity, taking up a full-time position on the Rugby Football League’s match officials panel.

With age clearly on her side, there are high hopes she can advance to overseeing games in the men’s Betfred Super League – in which she has already made a number of appearances as a touch judge – and showpiece events such as finals and internationals.

Yet while that is an obvious goal for any aspiring referee, being a trailblazer for women in the game is as much of a source of motivation for Jones.

“I want to pave the way for other females within this great sport,” Jones told the PA news agency.

“Part of my role is that I’m the women and girls match official ambassador and, if I can make a difference and even just get one more female into officiating, then that’s a step in the right direction.”

Jones was born in Germany when her father, an enthusiast of both codes of rugby, was stationed there with the army but spent a lot of her formative years in the league hotbed of Warrington.

With few girls teams around, she undertook her first refereeing course. She did return to playing, eventually finding her way to Merseyside-based Thatto Heath and then St Helens after the formation of Super League in 2017.

Yet a seed had been planted and a burgeoning refereeing career ran in tandem until, with many playing goals fulfilled, came a crunch decision.

“It was a really, really difficult choice to make,” said Jones, who also stood down from her role as a sports coach and pupil support at Chaigeley special school in Warrington.

“From the age of 12, when I’d been on the course, I’ve had that drive and had that motivation to succeed and make it into something big, and now I’ve done that.”

The achievements on the playing field were plentiful. Jones was the hooker as Saints won a Super League title, two League Leaders’ Shields and four Challenge Cups, two at Wembley. She also earned 14 England caps and played in the 2022 World Cup semi-finals.

“People presume now that I’m full-time I’ll automatically be refereeing Super League but there’s still hard work to do and I need to prove myself.

“Hopefully one day I will but I want it to be based on the fact that I’m good enough, not necessarily because I’m female.”