Groizeleau set to become fourth woman to referee 50 Test matches at WXV Global Series

French referee Aurélie Groizeleau will become only the fourth woman in history to referee 50 Test matches when she takes charge of fixtures at the 2026 WXV Global Series. The 37-year-old opens the tournament with England’s clash against Australia in Salford, then reaches her half-century the following month when she officiates Canada’s match against the Red Roses in Toronto.

Groizeleau joins Matthew Carley (England), Aimee Barrett-Theron (South Africa) and Hollie Davidson (Scotland) in reaching the landmark in 2026, and becomes the fifth French official overall to achieve the feat. She is one of 10 Emirates Match Officials appointed by World Rugby to oversee the 30 WXV Global Series fixtures spanning 13 countries.

Barrett-Theron is currently taking a break from officiating to undergo treatment for breast cancer, meaning Groizeleau, Maggie Cogger-Orr (New Zealand), Ella Goldsmith (Australia) and Holly Wood (England) will each take charge of four matches in the main series. Australia’s Jess Ling will referee the final fixture of the campaign when the Springbok Women host Ireland in Cape Town on 31 October.

Wood’s return to international refereeing carries its own storyline. The former Richmond and Harlequins wing came back from the birth of her second child earlier in 2026, having already made headlines in June when she officiated the Premiership Women’s Rugby final between Saracens and Trailfinders Women just 86 days after giving birth.

Six additional referees will take charge of the nine matches in the WXV Global Series Challenger, which runs from 13–26 September in Hong Kong China. Wales’ Amber Stamp-Dunstan will lead the opening fixture between Spain and Fiji, while Hibi Ikeda (Japan) and Precious Pazani (Zimbabwe) are also on duty on the opening weekend.

South Africa’s Giana Viljoen will make her Test debut as a referee when Fiji face Hong Kong China on the second weekend of Challenger action. Appointments for the third round will be confirmed after six referees from six separate unions have each taken charge of one match.