by: World Rugby

On Saturday, Aimee Barrett-Theron will run out at Allianz Stadium to become the first female match official to take charge of 40 tests.

Barrett-Theron will likely take a moment to process the achievement and may also allow herself a glance at the Allianz Stadium stands in search for her twin brother, before blowing her whistle to start England’s final WXV 1 warm-up match against New Zealand.

It is a momentous milestone for the South African referee, and former Springbok Women player, who is no stranger to breaking ground, being the first woman to take charge of Currie Cup, Super Rugby and United Rugby Championship matches.

This latest slice of sporting history has been given added significance not only by the location of the match, in Twickenham, but by the fact her great friend and fellow match official Sara Cox will join her in the 40-test club only six days later.

“It’s so special,” Barrett-Theron told World Rugby. “I actually see it in two ways. The first one is to share it with Sara Cox, who’s a really good friend of mine.

“We’ve come through the ranks together. We started reffing the sevens circuit together and into the 15s, done a few World Cups so it’s just so, so special to share it with her.

“I know when I try and get to the UK, when I have games out there, I always try to visit her because she’s just a really good person. So, it’s special in that way.

“And then the other side of it is, it’s amazing to be a part of the game for so long. I started playing in 2005 and I saw it in its real development stages and to see where it is now and to have done 40 tests, it’s just amazing because the level goes up.

“You know, from the first 10 [tests], the second 10, the third 10, and we’re at this incredible level at the moment. So, it’s just really exciting.”

Barrett-Theron and Cox first worked together at the HSBC USA Women’s Sevens in Atlanta in April 2016, the South African’s debut on the circuit, and they have pushed each other ever since.

“We chat on a regular basis. We try video calls, we’ll chat over WhatsApp,” Barrett-Theron added.

“I wouldn’t even say it’s a rivalry, we’re just two referees taking on the male dominated worlds in our respective countries. And we’ve shared some really good times together.”

Big dreams

As Barrett-Theron suggests, the women’s game has come of age in recent years with national attendance records falling like confetti across the world.

Organisers are expecting at least 40,000 – and potentially closer to 50,000 – fans to head to Allianz Stadium on Saturday for what will be the Red Roses’ third test at the iconic venue in less than 18 months.

The South African has seen that journey up close, having played at Women’s Rugby World Cup 2010 in England and then officiated at the showpiece tournament in both 2017 and 2022.

Barrett-Theron has also experienced a big crowd in Twickenham, having been in the middle when a crowd of 58,498 watched England beat France last April, a world record for a standalone women’s test.

“I always had big dreams and probably growing up, I didn’t see myself being a woman as any different,” she said.

“I’d see the men competing at the World Cup, so I was like, ‘Cool, that’s where I want to compete. I want to compete at the World Cup’. I didn’t really see gender with rugby.

“Now that the women’s game has grown so much, I’m just really privileged to be a part of that.”

Within five months of her World Series bow, and with only three tournaments under her belt, Barrett-Theron ticked off the first item on her career wishlist when she refereed at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

She has gone on to officiate a Women’s Rugby World Cup semi-final, the all-time classic between England and Canada in Auckland, and has designs on returning to England and potentially Allianz Stadium next year, selection permitting.

“Having played in a World Cup myself and then being on the other side of it, I really cherish the World Cups,” Barrett-Theron said.

“But if I can take it back to a dream that I had when I’d watched my first kind of ‘World Cup’ and the Sydney Olympics, I knew I wanted to be there one day.

“So, being able to run out at the 2016 Olympics will always be very high up there. But it’s been quite special to have quite a few milestones, quite a few really incredible experiences out there so far and I hope there’s many more to come.”

Importance of preparation

That Barrett-Theron has achieved a lot since that first sevens tournament in 2016 is clear. So, what are the secrets to her success?

“I really pride myself on my preparation for the games,” she replied. “Physical preparation, mental prep, prepping for the teams and different styles of teams.

“I’m fortunate enough to be a professional rugby referee. So, I do have the time to spend on it, and I think a lot of people don’t know how much time we do spend on it and how seriously we take it. In preparation and in review.

“It’s always tough watching yourself back on camera, but it’s something that you just get over and you take your lessons from each game, and you try to grow from there.

“So, yeah, probably a few factors around that and then just general determination, resilience with it. It’s a tough world to be in at times.

“You know, a lot of pressure on results and a lot of focus on the referee and I think I’d say my profile in general, I’m really trying to open up that side to it where I am more of a human being.

“I am very real on the field with the players. I have so much respect for them. I’m still a massive fan girl on the inside, and I hope that comes out in my performances.”

With that in mind, how does she hope people see her? “I’d like players to just be able to say, ‘Ah, it’s Aimee. It’s Aimee reffing’, you know, ‘calm, confident, comfortable. Will ref with a rugby brain as opposed to being perfectly technical’.

“I really want to try and get the most out of the game and allow the players to play the best rugby they can.”

Words of wisdom

It is an approach that has carried her far, but does Barrett-Theron have any advice for those match officials who may be starting out on their refereeing journey?

“I think the best thing to do is get your foundation right,” the record-breaking referee said. “Put in the hard work and the physical training. Make sure you pass the fitness test because on the field, especially being a woman, the first question is, can she keep up? Is she as fit as me?

“I made sure that I covered all my bases when it came to that, and if we need to reach the main standards, we reach the main standards.

“And then the other thing is to watch as much rugby as you can, but to see it not as a supporter of your team. Actually, watch the ref, watch how they move around the field, watch the signals that they make.

“I remember some of my first games, I thought I knew the signals, of course, but to actually do it yourself, I watched the video back and I was horrified. It took things like practising in front of the mirror to get the small things right.

“And then lastly, some of the best advice I got early on was, don’t try to be perfect. You know, the mistakes are the best way to learn.

“I think that’s sometimes what’s scary about reffing because you’re scared to make a mistake. You don’t want to change a game or make the wrong call and everyone shouts at you.

“Actually, sometimes [it’s OK to say], ‘Guys, I got that wrong’ or ‘I didn’t see it that way’ or ‘I missed it, sorry about that’. And you go on.

“As soon as we take that pressure off ourselves, it just allows you to be a bit more free on the field.”

Sage words from one of the best in the game.

By: Alyson Footer | MLB

HOUSTON — Given that Julia Morales has spent the better part of the past decade-plus in front of the camera as the Astros’ in-game reporter, the assumption is that at this point, there’s not much that could rattle her while she works.

But on Monday, Morales’ nerves were jangling just a tad, as she prepared to do something she had never tried before — doing the play-by-play in the television booth.

“Oh, I’m so nervous,” Morales said before the game, chuckling quietly.

In an exercise dubbed “Trading Spaces,” Morales switched roles with primary TV play-by-play announcer Todd Kalas: She would call the game, and he’d take over her spot next to the Astros’ dugout to serve as the in-game reporter, providing anecdotes and updates throughout the telecast.

Alex Bregman’s solo home run (2) 

The idea was concocted by the Astros’ TV broadcast crew, a tight-knit group that wanted to do something fun and unique. But there was also another twist to this Astros-A’s game Monday night that made it not only different, but historic: It was the first time two women did the play-by-play on television in the same game.

Jenny Cavnar took over as the A’s play-by-play TV announcer this season, becoming the first woman to hold that role in a full-time capacity for an MLB team. She’s accustomed to addressing where she fits in historically in an ever-evolving baseball industry, but this time, as she talked about calling the A’s game in Houston, something just felt different.

Cavnar was ecstatic to be part of this moment — not so much because two women calling the same game was another “first” for the sport, but because she was sharing this experience with Morales, her friend of more than a decade and a close confidant off the field.

“I just know that as a friend, it’s really cool that we get to be doing this game at the same time together,” Cavnar said. “I know her so well. I know her work ethic. I know her baseball knowledge. I know how well she knows this team. I can’t wait to see her in a role where she can shine. To be here on the night she’s doing it is so special for me.”

Morales, who has been a part of the Astros’ telecasts since 2013, has had some exposure to this side of broadcasting, albeit infrequently. Twice in 2023, she took over for analyst Geoff Blum when the Astros were playing the Rangers and A’s. In 2020, Morales was preparing for a couple of reps in the radio booth before the COVID-19 pandemic ended Spring Training — the day before she was to debut.

Four years later, she traded spaces with Kalas, who is familiar with the role of in-game reporter as he served in that capacity with the Rays before he was hired by the Astros prior to the 2017 season. They could have picked any night to do this, but doing it when the A’s were in town, with Cavnar in the next booth over, made it significantly more special for all involved.

JJ Bleday’s RBI double 

“The part I’m most excited about is this is all happening with [Cavnar],” Morales said. “What people don’t know about this is how close we are and what good friends we have been and how much we’ve leaned on each other.

“It’s really hard to understand our job, it’s just really unique. There’s not many of us. We’ve definitely created a bond. There’s a bunch of us that are really, really close within this business and this industry, and she’s definitely one of them.”

Astros’ broadcast on Morales, Cavnar making history

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Morales also was quick to point out that she considers Cavnar in a special class, along with the other pioneering women who have been hired as either play-by-play announcers or full-time analysts. Morales has reverence for all of these women — a very short list that includes Orioles play-by-play announcer Melanie Newman and Yankees radio analyst Suzyn Waldman — and said her stint in the booth should be taken in stride, simply as an opportunity to do something unique.

When Morales agreed to switch places with Kalas for Monday’s broadcast, “I didn’t want it to be a schtick,” she said. “Anytime we brought it up, or talked about it, I wanted to be serious, I wanted to take it seriously and I wanted to do a good job at the end of the day.”

Morales and Cavnar, moms to three-year-old daughters Valerie and Emmery, respectively, gathered in the booth before the game to pose for a group photo. Then it was time to work, and perhaps those jangling nerves Morales felt earlier in the day disappeared when the lights went on.

“Oh, it’s so good to be home and to settle in for a long homestand …” Morales began, flashing a smile. Soon, she was back in her comfort zone, bantering with Kalas and Blum and diving into the action on the field.

Different space, same place — and she sounded right at home.

By: Kenna Roering | The Daily Iowan

Hawkeye women’s wrestling head coach Clarissa Chun has been named USA Today’s Woman of the Year honoree for the state of Iowa.

This award is presented annually to 12 national recipients and one honoree per state who “use their voices and determination to push for change and equality, and even joy.”

Chun, a two-time Olympian, is the first head coach in Iowa women’s wrestling history. In their inaugural season, the Hawkeyes won the National Duals title and qualified 15 wrestlers for the national championships coming up on March 8-9. Chun served as an assistant coach on the women’s national team from 2017-21, helping the United States earn 17 World medals.

This year’s honorees include gymnast Aly Raisman, a six-time Olympic medalist, director and actress Eva Longoria, and mental health first responder Cheryl Jacobs.

Previous collegiate head coach recipients include Oklahoma softball’s Patty Gasso, South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley, and Stanford women’s basketball coach Tara VanDerveer.

“They are our neighbors and role models. They use their voices for others, many overcoming immense challenges, to make change happen,” USA Today wrote in a release. “Simply put, they make us want to do better.”