Starting something new is not always easy, but it’s the challenge of refereeing that Faith Manu has most enjoyed.
At just 14-years-old, Faith saw the opportunity to be more involved in rugby, taking the leap from playing to refereeing, and at the same time continued to make her mum, June, proud.
“Seeing Faith, and some of her teammates, take up the opportunity to get involved in refereeing has been great,” June said.
“The girls were looking at the referees that they had during their games and thought they wanted to be like them.
“So they said why not put our money where our mouth is and see if we can do it and it’s just snowballed from there.
“Having them referee has now sparked the interest of more of the girls playing 7s, and now a lot more of them want to referee!” she said.
June said it’s been great to see the girls step out of their comfort zones and rise to the occasion.
“They’ve been loving refereeing so far - they’ve even said to me that it’s been helping them when they’re playing too,” June said.
“I think it’s given them more confidence and also opened up the door to another pathway for them.
“They were so proud and inspired to see Amy Perrett (referee) make her Super Rugby debut, and now they’ve got their sights set on the same goal.
“Faith has definitely enjoyed watching her brother (Delahoya) over the years and it’s great to see that she’s now getting the same opportunities as him.” June said.
June’s son Delahoya was integral to the Penrith Emu’s return to the Shute Shield this year, as he led the side out each week as captain.
“He’s always been so passionate about rugby and seeing him go back to Penrith, and being given the opportunity to captain the team, has been a highlight for him and us,” June said.
“It’s been a proud moment for us to see both Faith and Delahoya develop this year,” she said.
If you’re interested in taking up refereeing, or would like more information
