1 of 8

Referee Sara Cox, center, during the rugby premiership match between Wasps and Northampton at The Ricoh Arena, Coventry, England, Sunday Nov. 4, 2018. (Nigel French/PA via AP)

2 of 8

Referee Sara Cox ahead of the rugby premiership match between Wasps and Northampton at The Ricoh Arena, Coventry, England, Sunday Nov. 4, 2018. (Nigel French/PA via AP)

3 of 8

Referee Sara Cox ahead of the rugby premiership match between Wasps and Northampton at The Ricoh Arena, Coventry, England, Sunday Nov. 4, 2018. (Nigel French/PA via AP)

4 of 8

Referee Sara Cox during the rugby premiership match between Wasps and Northampton at The Ricoh Arena, Coventry, England, Sunday Nov. 4, 2018. (Nigel French/PA via AP)

5 of 8

Referee Sara Cox during the rugby premiership match between Wasps and Northampton at The Ricoh Arena, Coventry, England, Sunday Nov. 4, 2018. (Nigel French/PA via AP)

6 of 8

Referee Sara Cox talks to Northampton Saints Ben Franks during the rugby premiership match between Wasps and Northampton at The Ricoh Arena, Coventry, England, Sunday Nov. 4, 2018. (Nigel French/PA via AP)

7 of 8

Referee Sara Cox during the rugby premiership match between Wasps and Northampton at The Ricoh Arena, Coventry, England, Sunday Nov. 4, 2018. (Nigel French/PA via AP)

8 of 8

Referee Sara Cox during the rugby premiership match between Wasps and Northampton at The Ricoh Arena, Coventry, England, Sunday Nov. 4, 2018. (Nigel French/PA via AP)

Sara Cox 1st female to referee top-flight English rugby game

By Associated Press London

PUBLISHED 2:14 PM ET May. 09, 2019

LONDON (AP) — Sara Cox has become the first female to referee a top-level English rugby union match.

The 28-year-old Cox, who became the world's first female professional rugby referee in 2016, took charge of Northampton's 15-14 Premiership Cup victory at Wasps on Sunday.

Cox had previously refereed in the second and third tiers of English rugby.

An injury-time try by Mitch Eadie sealed a comeback win for Northampton which took the club to the top of Pool Three in the competition.

___

More AP sports: https://apnews.com/tag/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports