Holly Wood to referee PWR Final 86 days after giving birth to her second child

Holly Wood will referee the 2025 Premiership Women’s Rugby Final between Trailfinders Women and Saracens at Twickenham Stoop on Sunday — 86 days after giving birth to her second child, Adaline, in April.

The former Harlequins and Richmond wing, who turned to officiating at the end of her playing career, returned to the pitch just seven weeks postpartum, taking charge of a men’s Division One County Cup game in May before featuring in PWR’s Round 17 a week later. She has since officiated 33 games this season.

What makes Wood’s path to Sunday’s showpiece even more remarkable is that she spent much of the build-up to it keeping a significant secret. She discovered she was pregnant three weeks before travelling to the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 and chose not to disclose the news during the tournament, serving as a lead official until the 20th week of her pregnancy and as an assistant through the end of her second trimester.

“During the World Cup, I wanted my selection, especially in the knockout stages, to be purely on my performance and not related to anything else that was going on externally,” Wood told PWR.

She added that the PWR Final had always been a target. “We are the best league in the world, and it is an honour and a privilege to be given the whistle for this game,” she said. “I understand the weight and history of the league and I want to do a good job to do the game a service.”

Wood also welcomed her first child, Huxley, in 2023, and described the birth of Adaline — reportedly kick-started by a 5k run — as “rapid”, praising her husband and wider support network for making her return to elite officiating possible at such pace.

Twickenham Stoop holds personal significance for Wood beyond Sunday’s final. It was the venue for the highlight of her playing career a decade ago, and she will now stand in the middle of the same ground in a very different role.

“My journey has been from a player to referee and then doing motherhood throughout refereeing,” she said. “It just shows that it is possible.”

Wood, whose mother also played rugby, spoke about the sport’s broader meaning to her family. “For me, rugby is the ultimate family sport,” she said. “Before my son turned one, he had been to 10 countries with me on World Rugby duty. The family element has always been really important to me, as has breaking down barriers. The referee is human, we do have a family, we have day jobs, and we care about the game just as much as anyone.”