The one nation Hollie Davidson is banned from refereeing

But there is one country she won't normally be allowed to referee: Scotland.

World Rugby's international appointment system is built around neutrality, with match officials generally selected from a union not involved in the fixture.

Davidson represents the Scottish Rugby Union, meaning she can referee the likes of England, Ireland, New Zealand and world champions South Africa – but wouldn't ordinarily be appointed to a Scotland Test.

The same principle applies across the international game. An English referee wouldn't normally take charge of England, while a New Zealand official wouldn't be handed an All Blacks Test.

Importantly, it's the referee's union affiliation, rather than simply their place of birth, that matters.

Welsh-born referee Luke Pearce is a perfect example. Pearce was born in Pontypool but represents England's RFU and has previously refereed Wales at Test level, including their Six Nations clash with Italy in 2020.

That means Wales aren't the country Pearce is prevented from refereeing under the neutrality principle – England are.

Davidson, meanwhile, made history in 2024 when she became the first female referee to take charge of a Springboks Test, overseeing South Africa's clash with Portugal.

Things can work differently when the Barbarians are involved.

When South Africa faced the Barbarians in Cape Town in June 2026, South African referee Morné Ferreira took charge, with the rest of the officiating team also coming from South Africa.

So Davidson can referee virtually any major rugby nation on the planet – except her own.

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