Lausanne - Joy Neville will make history when she becomes the first woman to referee a match in one of the leading European club competitions.
European Professional Club Rugby announced on Tuesday that Neville would referee the Challenge Cup pool game between Bordeaux-Begles and Russian club Enisei on December 15.
Neville is a former international who played 70 times for Ireland. She was in charge of the Women's Rugby World Cup final between New Zealand and England in August and has been an assistant referee in both European club competitions.
Neville is also scheduled to serve as an assistant referee when the Barbarians play Tonga in Limerick on Friday and in the Spain versus Canada and France versus Japan internationals later in November, the EPCR, which runs the European Challenge Cup and the Champions Cup, said.