Rugby league refereeing pioneers Belinda Sharpe and Kasey Badger are set to re-write history again, named as the first female match officials under the single referee system for an NRL game in the men’s competition.
Sharpe will officiate Friday’s match between the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles and Wests Tigers, while Badger will referee the Gold Coast Titans v Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs on Sunday.
Sharpe and Badger are the only two female match officials out of the 20 listed on the NRL’s website.
The NRL’s CEO Andrew Abdo congratulated the women for making history in the league.
“Kasey and Belinda are professionals and have shown dedication and discipline in their development,” he said.
“This is a historic moment for them and for the game.”
NRL’s executive general manager for elite officiating, Jared Maxwell, recognised the significant impact the pair have already made on the game and will continue to make throughout their career.
“Their progression is a direct result of the strong pathways that we have. But what is also clear is the impact both Belinda and Kasey have had on the pathways themselves as they have progressed,” he said.
“The influence of Kasey and Belinda has inspired young girls to take up refereeing. Many more will be inspired again when they see them refereeing this weekend.”
Belinda Sharpe, who made her refereeing debut in 2019, has refereed eight matches in the NRL under the two-referee system, which was scrapped in 2020. She has also been the touch judge in 195 NRL games.
Sharpe has refereed the women’s State of Origin since 2019 and officiated the NRLW Grand Final in 2020 and 2021. She also was a match official in the 2017 and 2022 Rugby League World Cup for both the men’s and women’s tournaments.
Belinda Sharpe was the first female to referee a professional game of Rugby League in 2019.
Watch the full story of her journey: https://t.co/6MH9L8iMwV pic.twitter.com/Fe9HWxgLWR— NRL (@NRL) August 18, 2023
Kasey Badger has been the touch judge in 161 NRL matches and the Bunker Review Official in 43 matches. She was the referee for the NRLW Grand Final and 2018, 2019 and 2022 and was also an official at the Rugby League World Cup, refereeing the men’s game between Tonga and Wales.
Women and girls’ underrepresentation in sport is heightened when it comes to the number of female match officials. According to 2022 data from Clearinghouse for sport, while 32 per cent of Australian women aged 15+ participated in a sport-related activity at least once a week, only 14 per cent held a non-playing role (match official).
Play Rugby League offers a targeted pathway program called Women in League Officiating Program (WILOP) to boost the number of female officials, from the grassroots level to the international stage.