Last week in Tbilisi, Georgia, Will Boyd and Anita O’Neill attended the ITF White Badge Referee School and have returned to Ireland as the newest White Badge Referees on the island. This brings the total number of ITF White Badge Referees, in Ireland, to five.
Speaking about her journey to White Badge, Anita O’Neill said it’s difficult to condense her life into a few words when, from the age of seven, it’s been constantly intertwined with tennis in one way or another.
“I have been playing tennis all my life, starting in Kilkenny and joining Donnybrook when I came to Dublin.
I have always been actively involved in my club in voluntary roles such as, Lady Captain, Junior Coordinator and President. For many years I acted as referee for Junior Open, Irish Close, and in-house competitions. I have worked regularly at ITF and European tour events for Tennis Ireland.
I am delighted to have achieved my White Badge qualification and look forward to this new chapter.”
Of the experience in Tbilisi, Will Boyd said,
“Last week I was able to travel to Tbilisi, Georgia to take part in the ITF White Badge Referee school. There was 21 people from all over Europe and further a field, including Anita O’Neill. It was nice to have another Irish face!
I was able to learn lots, meet referees from different countries as well as the chance to experience Tbilisi.
I look forward to using this qualification to referee more international tournaments in Ireland. Thanks to Simon McFarland for his advice and assistance throughout.”
Tennis Ireland CEO, Kevin Quinn, said of Anita and Will’s achievements.
“At Tennis Ireland, we are immensely proud to see two of our own achieve the prestigious ITF White Badge status. This accomplishment reflects their dedication to excellence and their commitment to upholding the highest standards in the sport. They are a credit to Irish tennis and an inspiration to the next generation of officials. Special thanks to Simon McFarland and the Competitions team who have driven significant improvement in the quantity and quality of tournaments across our island and have championed officiating in Irish tennis over the last number of years.”
