Holly Mackenzie's rapid rise to FPC referee

When Holly Mackenzie first picked up a referee’s whistle, she was simply trying to help out.

Her husband was coaching their sons’ junior rugby team and as is often the case in grassroots sport, someone needed to referee.

Mackenzie put her hand up.

At the time, she had no idea that decision would take her from the sidelines of junior rugby to the middle of an FPC match just three years later, capping a rapid rise that also saw her become the first woman to referee a Premier men's grade match in Thames Valley.

Rugby has always run through Mackenzie's life. She grew up watching it on TV and followed her older brother onto the field as a kid. High school brought a switch to hockey, sealed after a game against Tokoroa Girls' High left her with a busted lip and a black eye.

It was her own children who brought her back to the game. All three started out playing rippa rugby, Mackenzie and her husband were heavily involved coaching and managing their teams, and with her husband often busy on the sideline as coach, someone still needed to referee. Mackenzie decided to give it a go herself.

"At that stage I certainly didn't think it would turn into what it has today," she said. "I was really just a mum helping out with my kids' rugby team."

The turning point came when Thames Valley posted about a Rugby 101 course aimed at introducing women to refereeing. Mackenzie had already decided she wanted to give refereeing a real crack that season, and the timing lined up.

Rugby 101 was a course developed and run by international referee Maggie Cogger-Orr, aiming is to give women an opportunity to gain some basic referee insight in a safe and supportive environment.

Mackenzie’s first senior match followed in June 2024, when she took charge of Thames against Coromandel in the inaugural Thames Valley Women's Club of Origin competition.

“It was a pretty special game to be a part of because it was the first year Thames Valley had run the Club of Origin competition for the women. So while it was a first for the competition, it was also a massive first for me personally.”

"It was basically run around, blow the whistle, give your primary signal and then remember your secondary signal," she said. Two assistant referees talked her through where to stand as the game went on.

"I still remember walking off the field afterwards thinking, 'Phew, I survived.'"

That survival instinct turned into momentum. This year Mackenzie refereed her first Premier men's grade match in Thames Valley, becoming the first woman to do so in the province. Selection for the referee representative squad followed a period of hard physical work, rebuilding fitness and strength after having three children.

“One of my biggest hurdles was the physical side of it. I’m a mum of three and, after having three children, your body changes and sometimes it just doesn’t quite do what you want it to do! I had to work really hard on my fitness and strength to get myself to where I needed to be for the squad.”

"There was an overwhelming sense of achievement," she said of making the squad. "I was incredibly proud of myself, ecstatic, but also nervous at the same time."

Her FPC debut arrived not long after and somewhat sooner than she had allowed herself to expect, appointed to officiate the first-round fixture between the Hawke’s Bay Tui and North Harbour.

She spent last week training daily, reviewing footage from the 2025 season, working through law changes for the competition, and meeting her coach Andrew Hartley over zoom.

“There is definitely a lot more that goes into preparing for a game than just turning up on Saturday, putting the boots on and grabbing the whistle. Between training, reviewing rugby, law revision, meetings, travel, work and being a mum, last week was very busy indeed!”

On the day, Mackenzie described pulling on her uniform as something close to switching on an alter ego, a steadier and more confident version of herself. Standing pitch-side for the haka before kick-off stayed with her as the moment it all became real.

"That was probably my real 'pinch me, I'm actually here' moment," she said. "But then you have to shake that feeling out of your head pretty quickly, because the moment you blow that whistle to start the match, it's go time."

Both sides played fast, direct rugby for the full 80 minutes, which kept her busy throughout. She left the field wanting to review parts of her performance but made a point of pausing to enjoy what she had achieved first.

“Overall, it was just a great day. The sun was shining, some amazing rugby was being played, and I was right there in the middle of it living a moment that I had worked incredibly hard for.”

Mackenzie's goals extend well beyond this season. She wants to keep testing herself and, longer term, has the Women's Rugby World Cup in her sights. Just as important to her is what her journey might show other women and mothers weighing up whether refereeing is for them.

"If someone can look at my journey and think, 'If she can give it a crack, maybe I can too,' then that would be pretty special," she said.

“Don’t be afraid to put the whistle in your hand and give it a go. You are never too far along in life to try something new, and you might just find something you absolutely love. I think especially as mums, we can spend so much of our time supporting our kids and helping them chase their goals that sometimes we forget we are still allowed to have goals of our own.”