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Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWEAN female rugby referee, Precious Pazani left the country on Monday for the United Kingdom to do duty in the TikTok Women’s Six Nations tournament which kicks off this coming weekend.
Pazani who is the reigning Zimbabwe Rugby Referees Society Referee of the Year, will be the assistant referee when England faces Scotland on the competition’s opening day on Saturday.
In the first match Wales host Ireland in Cardiff before England take on Scotland at Kingston Park later that afternoon.
Round 1 action will conclude on Sunday with Italy hosting France in Parma.
The referees for all matches this year have been announced by World Rugby ahead of matches getting underway.
Pazani last year officiated at the Dubai Invitational Sevens as well Cape Town Sevens. It was at the Cape Town Sevens where she made history by becoming the first Zimbabwe rugby referee to handle matches at the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series when she blew the whistle in two encounters.
Pazani has also been to the Women’s Six Nations Championship, men’s Under-20 Six Nations Championship and the 2022 Men’s Rugby Africa Cup.
She is also part of the officials for the World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series 2023, which is set to take place in Stellenbosch, South Africa between April 20 and 30.
The winner of the 12-team women’s Challenger Series will gain automatic promotion to the Sevens World Series 2024 – the pinnacle of international rugby sevens.
Winners of the men’s Challenger Series, which also features 12 teams, will enter a four team play-off at the HSBC London Sevens in May 2023 together with the teams placed 12th-14th after 10 rounds of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, with the winner of the play-off achieving Sevens World Series 2024 status. — @innocentskizoe
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