Mataiasi Stark 
The Fiji Rugby Referees Association is celebrating a growing wave of young women entering the officiating pathway and yesterday, they received a powerful boost of inspiration from the reigning Miss Pacific Island, Litara Ieremia-Alan.
High Performance Referees Manager James Bolabiu says bringing the pageant finalists together with the nominees for this year’s referees awards was a deliberate step to motivate the sport’s newest female officials.
“There’s lots of young female referees that started to join our referee association, and therefore, to have a public figure who has achieved a lot in the Pacific… we are all looking forward to hear from her, what it takes to achieve something great.”
He adds that the advice and encouragement from the contestants will be valuable as Fiji continues to build depth in women’s officiating.
“Our female referees look forward to using those advices and making sure they continue the journey and be the best they can be.”
The Fiji Rugby Referees Association Awards will be held on 20 December, recognising officials from grassroots to high performance level.
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