St.Helens Women’s leading appearance maker will depart the Club at end of the 2024 season, to become a full time match official with the Rugby Football League.
Jones joined the Red V for our inaugural season back in 2018, captaining the side during that first season. Yesterday, the 2024 Betfred Women’s Super League Grand Final marked Jones’ 93rd and final appearance in a Saints shirt.
Jones has won a Women’s Super League title, two League Leaders’ Shield triumphs and also four Challenge Cup successes during her time at the Club.
The 28-year-old has been a trailblazer for a number of years as a member of the RFL’s Grade One officials list, making historic appearances as a touch judge and referee at all levels – including refereeing her first Betfred League One match this season, and as a touch-judge in a number of Betfred Super League fixtures.
She has done that while starring at hooker for St.Helens and England, for whom she was a World Cup semi finalist in 2022 and won a total of 14 caps – and had the distinction of being the first woman to score a try at Wembley in a senior fixture when Saints beat Leeds Rhinos in the Betfred Women’s Challenge Cup Final last year.
Tara told her team-mates ahead of their the 2024 Grand Final that she would be retiring to take up a full-time position with the RFL.
Phil Bentham, the RFL’s Head of Match Officials, said: “I’m delighted that Tara will be joining our Full-Time Match Officials Squad for the 2025 season.
“It’s been a big decision for her to retire from a fantastic club and international playing career after this weekend’s Women’s Super League Grand Final.
“She’s had a brilliant season as a match official, becoming the first female official to referee Men’s League One and touch judge Men’s Super League.
“This significant appointment will see Tara become the first woman to join our full-time squad, since its inception in 2006.
“She will combine her full-time MO role with work as an ambassador for woman officials, primarily focusing on the recruitment and development of a new cohort. We have seen a massive growth in the women’s game and it’s vital that we see similar growth in our pool of women officials.”
Stuart Barrow, the Head Coach of England Women, said: “Tara has been an outstanding player for club and country, at such an exciting time for Women’s Rugby League – and she was an integral part of our 2022 World Cup campaign.
“It has taken remarkable dedication and commitment to combine that with her development as a match official.
“With those qualities, all of us in the England Women set-up look forward to watching her develop as member of the Full-Time Match Officials Squad, and as an outstanding role model for Women and Girls in the sport.”
All of us at Saints would like to thank Tara for her efforts in a Saints shirt, and wish her all of the best in the future!
