Jenny referees men's provincial

Another first for her

Jenny Bentel, South Africa's first and only women's Test referee, has become the first woman appointed to a men's provincial match.

Jenny, who became the first woman referee, to be graded as a first league referee in the Western Province men's competitions, has been appointed to referee the Under-19 provincial match between the Golden Lions and the Griffins at the University of Johannesburg (RAU campus) on 19 August.

“I am pleased with the opportunities that are presented to women in the referees category,” said Bentel. “I am honoured to officiate in a Provincial men’s match. This should signal the beginning for women in the refereeing profession in the country.”

Jenny Bentel joined the Western Province Referees' Society in 1998, the first woman to do so, and has progressed steadily till she became a first league referee. As the women's rugby is recent in South Africa, her experience and progress has been almost exclusively in the men's game.
 
Pretoria-born, educated at Affies (the girls' side), the mother of a daughter, a dental hygienist by profession and a personal fitness trainer, sport plays a large part in her life. Till now, canoeing has brought her greatest achievements. She has done 10 Duzi Marathons with several gold medals, for example.
 
She took up refereeing after watching with others. Playing the game was not an option, but there was a challenge in refereeing. She said to herself: "That's something I can do." She has found that refereeing takes a lot more than being fit!

In 2002 she refereed the Final of the inaugural Women's Interprovincial Tournament in Port Elizabeth. In 2003 she refereed a match between the Blue Bulls and the touring England Women's team.
 
In 2004 she went with two other referees and the Western Province referees' manager, Ben Theron, to England. Then she went off to the IRB's Under-19 World Championship as a touch judge to get better acquainted with high-level rugby. The other two touch judges were James Jones of Wales and Andrew McPherson of Scotland.

Then came her Test - South Africa's first-ever Test which they played against Wales at the Adcock Stadium in Port Elizabeth, a match she did not altogether enjoy because of the verbal abuse she got from the Welsh management on the sidelines.

The Under-19 match is one more first for Jenny the refereeing pioneer.