TRAILBLAZING rugby league referee Tara Jones hopes her Super League achievement will inspire others to follow suit.

The 21-year-old from Penketh became the first female on-field match official at Super League level when she was an in-goal judge in Wigan Warriors’ 30-18 home win against Wakefield Trinity at the DW Stadium on Sunday.

It is the pinnacle of nine years as a match official for the former Crosfields junior, who is also an England international player and signed up to represent St Helens in the new women’s Super League this year.

Jones, a lifeguard at Penketh Pool and sports technician at Cronton Sixth Form College in Widnes, found out about the appointment five days before the game and now hopes for more opportunities in Super League his year.

“It was a massive experience and I really enjoyed it,” said Jones, a Warrington Rugby League Referees’ Society member who was promoted to grade two this year which means she will have dates refereeing at academy level.

“It was good to get the appointment. It shows the hard work is paying off.

“It will always go down in my memory as my first Super League game as an on-field official.

“With it being at Wigan it was quite a big game, contested by two really good teams.

“I was a little nervous but you have to stay professional and get on with it.

“It was the biggest profile game I’ve done. There was one tight call in the corner but the calls were pretty simple really and I didn’t disallow any tries.”

Quite a fuss has been made of Jones’ historic achievement.

“People have always asked me if I will be the first female to do it and it’s something I couldn’t say for definite,” she said.

“It’s a great achievement and I’m really proud of myself. It’s a bit surreal really, with all the support and messages I’ve received from so many people.

“I hope that others will get on board and know that they can do it as well now that I’ve done it.

“There’s a few other young female match officials coming through so I hope that they look up to me and think they can push on and get there as well.”

Jones has climbed the ranks since taking her first referee’s course aged 12 and starting out with a whistle in children’s matches.

Highlights on her journey have included appointments at two Champions Schools’ showdowns in curtain-raisers to Challenge Cup Finals at Wembley.

Nick Woodward, reserve referee at Wigan on Sunday and secretary of the Warrington Rugby League Referees’ Society, said: “She did really well.

“Her positioning was really good and she looked confident. She didn’t look out of her depth at all and it was a good effort.

“I’ve known Tara as long as I’ve been refereeing, eight or nine years.

“She’s always had the potential to come through.

“I know that because she’s a female match official she is getting a lot of attention this week but she’s there on merit without a doubt.

“She’s an inspiration to any other female who wants to come through.”

Anybody interested in becoming involved in refereeing can visit warringtonrlrs.webs.com