LAWRENCE GULLERY/STUFF/Stuff
Referee Maggie Cogger-Orr will control a Taranaki premier club rugby match on Saturday.
History will be made in the Taranaki premier club rugby this weekend when Maggie Cogger-Orr steps onto the field.
The Canadian-born, Auckland-based Cogger-Orr will become the first female referee to control a premier fixture in the region when Spotswood United hosts Inglewood in the bottom-of-the-table clash at Yarrow Stadium on Saturday.
She will be here in her capacity as New Zealand Rugby’s women’s development referee manager where she’s running a course for aspiring female whistle-blowers on Friday.
She will hang around and view up and coming and New Zealand referee scholarship recipient Chloe Sampson in the division one match before experiencing club rugby here.
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“I’m looking forward to getting to see what club rugby is like in Taranaki,” she said.
“Obviously as a region with a stellar rugby legacy and history, I’m sure the game will be a great contest.”
Cogger-Orr is no stranger to the men’s game, being a regular in the Auckland club scene and refereed in the Heartland Championship last year. She also refereed two women’s Six Nations tests earlier this season and controlled matches in last year’s Rugby World Cup.
The region has produced female referees in the past including current first-class referee Larissa Collingwood, who was born in Hāwera and is now based in Hamilton, Brooke Fevre and Alison Furze.
Cogger-Orr will have her hands full on Saturday as both teams are searching for their first win of the season.
Elsewhere, competition leaders New Plymouth Old Boys will face their biggest challenge of the year when they play second-placed Southern at Hicks Park in Hāwera.
Southern will look to continue its forward domination in the competition, but if Old Boys prop Reuben O’Neill plays more game-time compared to last week, his inclusion could be a leveller.
The Taranaki rep has struggled with injury over the last few seasons.
Tukapa will host Stratford-Eltham at Sanders Park in another highly anticipated match in the round.
ANDY MACDONALD/Stuff
Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens could be available for Tukapa again this week.
Depending on Blues selection, Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens could be available for Tukapa after playing 40 minutes off the bench last week and was kept busy in the midfield.
Stratford/Eltham is eyeing up five wins on the bounce after losing to Old Boys in the opening weekend.
Clifton hosts Coastal at the Tikorangi Sports Ground in the remaining match.
After playing for Coastal in last week’s win against Spotswood United, lock Josh Lord has been called up for the Chiefs’ match against the Highlanders on Friday night.
Kick-off for all matches is at 2:45pm.
In the women’s competition, Clifton plays Inglewood at Tikorangi from 12:30pm and Coastal is home to Southern at Rahotu at 1pm. Okaiawa has the bye.
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