It is also the first time a Scottish Rugby referee has been selected to officiate a European final since Jim Fleming took charge of Bath v Brive in the 1998 Heineken Cup.

The appointment adds further to another exceptional year for Davidson, who was involved in the men’s and women’s Six Nations and will become the first female referee to officiate a tier 1 test match in the summer when Springboks face Italy. Later this year she will also referee in the 2025 Women’s World Cup after officiating the final in the 2022 tournament.

She will be assisted by Mike Adamson, who has been selected as the TMO for the final, which takes place at the Principality Stadium, Cardiff on Friday 23 May.

Davidson said: “European rugby is the pinnacle of the professional game and to be named as the Challenge Cup final referee is something that I never thought was possible when I was starting out. It’s been a long time since a Scot has done a final, so I’m just absolutely over the moon to be named as the referee for such a big game.

After refereeing regularly during the URC season, Davidson has said that keeping her processes the same will be important.

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – DECEMBER 22: Referee Hollie Davidson during a United Rugby Championship match Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh Rugby at Hampden Park, on December 22, 2024, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)

She said: “A lot of the prep is done during the year leading into these big fixtures. I will trust that I’ve done the work leading into the game and trust that my processes are in place. I just need to go out there and do what I’ve been doing for the rest of the season. That’s why I’ve been picked for this game.”

Davidson has had a whirlwind year so far, starting last summer where she took charge of South Africa v Portugal but has also taken huge learnings which will aid her in the future.

She said: “It’s been an intense year for sure. It all kicked off with that Springboks game in the summer. November was not the easiest of windows and I had to do a lot of learning and mature in my refereeing. It’s been a big year of development. I want to be one of the best referees in the world, so for me to be able to do that, I need to be put into challenging environments so that I can test myself against the best in the world.

“This year I refereed in the Six Nations for the second year in a row. The level of scrutiny on that tournament is unbelievable and ensures your standards need to be as high as possible. Last year I was nervous for my first Six Nations game but this year I was just excited. That probably shows the growth I’ve had that I’m looking forward to these big occasions.”

Davidson has a strong support team around her at Scottish Rugby including Mike Adamson who will join her in Cardiff next weekend.

She said: “The work that Andy Macpherson and JP Doyle have been putting in with us over the past couple of years to really align us as a group has been great and it’s great to share these moments with colleagues, yes, but friends as well.

“Me and Mike (Adamson) have been through this whole journey together, so to share a moment like this with him is so special. I think soon enough he’ll be one of the best TMOs in the world. For him to get this pretty much in his first year of TMOing is fantastic.”