Referee Aimee Barrett-Theron makes history in Bulls’ Super Rugby Unlocked victory

The Bulls ended a 10-year trophy drought by beating the Pumas to win the Super Rugby Unlocked title in what was the first top-level XV-a-side match in the country refereed by a woman.

Aimee Barrett-Theron, 33, was the history maker at rain-soaked Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria as the Bulls triumphed 21-5.

“This is not how we scrum – sort it out,” she instructed the rival front-rows two minutes before the break after yet another set-piece reset.

“That is unnecessary – do not do that,” Barrett-Theron told Bulls fullback David Kriel after he pushed an opponent in an off-the-ball incident during the second half.

All the Bulls needed to do to clinch the title was not lose by 41 points, something that was never likely against a Pumas side hit hard by Covid-19 positive results in the last 10 days.

The Stormers finished second and the Sharks third after their much-anticipated clash in Durban on Saturday was cancelled after a number of Sharks tighthead props also returned positive Covid-19 tests.

Meanwhile, the Cheetahs finished fourth after a bonus-point 28-9 victory over Griquas in Bloemfontein in the final match and the focus now switches to the Currie Cup, which begins next Friday.