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Farewell Auntie Rob


 “Does the eye deceive? Is that really an attractive young woman running around on the field and blowing the whistle?”

This was the opening to an article in the Junior Rugby News, dated May 12, 1971.

And this attractive young woman in question? That’s my Auntie Rob. She made her Rugby refereeing debut in 1971 in a mini skirt at age 26, the first female referee in Australia.

As anyone who knew her would know, Rob has always walked to the beat of her own drum. When she finished high school she went to secretarial school, and after a “gap year” to the UK, taking a boat each way as this was the 60s, she got a job at Sydney Rugby Union upon her return, and quickly fell in love with the sport.

In 1968 she sat the referees exam, which of course she wasn’t allowed to because she’s a woman. True to herself as usual, she investigated the constitution which contained no mention of gender, and then made her case to the Chairman who graciously permitted her to sit the exam, though knowing Rob, she probably didn’t give him much choice in the matter.

She passed with flying colours and became Australia’s first female referee and from there became a legend in the Aussie rugby community. An an article about her on the Rugby News website, summed up her status in the community quite well “While Timmins was only a small lady, referees of all ages from right around the state were petrified to call and cancel if they couldn't make a match following their appointment”

Off the field, she was Robin Varley, born May 9, 1945, to Eva Christina Varley and Lyle Grafton Varley, the day Australia found out WW2 had ended. She was younger brother to my dad, aunt to my brother and I and grand-aunt to my niece. She met Geoff Timmins through the rugby world, and they married when she was 29. Unfortunately their union was short lived as he passed away from a brain tumour before her 31st birthday.

But anyone who knew her knew that rugby was the love of her life. Everyone in the rugby circles knew her, and she rarely missed a game of her beloved “Woodies”, the Eastwood Rugby Club. Through her role at Sydney Rugby Union, which eventually merged with NSW Rugby, she coordinated all the referees for every match across New South Wales every week, including making sure they were all trained as well.

In 2013, she was awarded the Order of Australia for her services to the rugby community, was the first female in NSW Rugby Union’s 149-year history to receive an Honorary Lifetime Membership and flown over to Dublin to receive the IRB (now World Rugby) Development Award for her service to the game.

As the news of her passing has spread, I’ve learned so much about her, and how she's connected to other people in my life - even how she's connected to my favourite store, Made590! I had shared a  photo of her the aforementioned mini skirt, and Chris, the owner, saw it and knew it was Robin, not realising she was my aunt!

That's partial why I've chosen my outfit today to honour her, on the day of her funeral. She loved Australia, so I've chosen one of my first Made590 prints, "States". I'm also wearing Waratah earrings, to represent Rugby NSW - their logo is a Waratah, and it is the name of the state team.

There’s still work to do, but women in historically male sports have come a long way in this country.  No one was prouder than Rob when Amy Perrett became the first woman to referee a Super Rugby match in 2020.

And just look at how Australia has rallied around the Matilda’s during the World Cup, and the success of the Super W, AFLW and W League Women’s leagues. None of that would have been possible were it not for trailblazers like Rob who broke through the proverbial scrum of the Rugby boys club.




Top and Skirt - Made590

Earrings - Oddspark

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