Zimbabwean referee Precious Pazani has been appointed as the center referee for the build-up match between Kenya and Madagascar.
She will be assisted by Kenyan officials Kevin Wambugu and Mercy Dudi as touch judges.
Pazani is one of Africa’s most capped female rugby referee and has gained international recognition through her involvement in several World Rugby tournaments.
Her World Rugby refereeing journey began at the 2022 Cape Town Sevens, where she made history as the first Zimbabwean female rugby referee to officiate at a World Rugby event.
Precious Pazani(center) with fellow referees during the RWC Qualifiers in Kenya// photo: Rugby Afrique
In a landmark moment for women’s officiating, Pazani was part of the 2023 World Rugby U-20 Trophy tournament, where she and Kat Roche from the USA became the first female referees to officiate in the tournament’s history.
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Pazani’s impressive resume includes officiating at the 2022 Rugby World Cup Sevens, the Dubai Invitational Sevens, and the Cape Town Sevens later that year.
Additionally, she served as an assistant referee during the opening match between England and Scotland in the TikTok Women’s Six Nations 2022, further cementing her position as one of the sport’s top officials.
Captains-of-Namibia-and-Madagascar-with-the-referee-Precious-Pazani// photo: Rugby Afrique
Friday’s match will impact the Kenya Lionesses’ World Rugby rankings after a challenging run in the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup.
On the other hand, Madagascar will join Fiji, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Samoa, and Spain in the 2024 WXV 3 tournament, which will take place in the United Arab Emirates from September 27 to October 13.
