Record breaking rugby referee didn't take no for an answer
Maggie Cogger-Orr has become the most-capped female rugby referee from New Zealand after officiating her 33rd Test match. Her career transition from player to referee highlights her persistence in a sport where she was initially told she could not participate.
Why it matters
This milestone highlights the growing professionalization and visibility of women in high-level sports officiating.
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Being told she couldn't play rugby was all the motivation Maggie Cogger-Orr needed.
Two decades later, the New Zealand referee has set a record for the most Test matches officiated by a New Zealand woman, taking charge of her 33rd at the weekend.
"It's pretty crazy to be here already," Cogger-Orr told Morning Report after reaching the milestone in Saturday's WXV Global series game between Australia and Scotland in Sydney.
Born in Ontario, Canada, Cogger-Orr played ice hockey growing up before starting boys gridiron football.
It wasn't long before she was identified by her high school rugby programme and was soon playing fifteen aside, attracted by the physical nature of the sport.
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