“I started as an Assistant Referee on the A-League in 2007 and I have been a FIFA Assistant Referee since 2004.

"I have been to three World Cups, five U/20 World Cups, two Olympic Games, two Asian Games and three Asian Cups.

“I’ve learned that women referees can do anything that men referees can do - we need only be given the same opportunities and the same rewards.”

Ho was positive about the experiences the NPL system in NSW is giving to referees, emphasizing that ability rather than gender was the key to being involved in that pathway.

“I think the NPLW and the NPLM give both women and men referees the chance to referee at an elite level,” she said. 

“In terms of refereeing, there is no gender barrier to officiate on either league in NSW, it’s whether you can pass the required fitness tests and meet the level of officiating required for each league that matters, not gender.”

Ho admitted that female referees will always have different challenges and priorities to males, but insists there are ways to confront and get past those challenges.

She sights Sydney based W League referee Kelly Jones as an example of someone who was able to juggle normal life with being an elite level match official.

“In the long term aspect of their careers, female referees face additional challenges to their male colleagues when deciding whether or not to have children.

"Then, planning to have children, physically carrying and birthing children and also returning to elite level football while breastfeeding,” explained Ho.

“The timing of these things can derail the career of an emerging or elite woman referee which is not something that male referees need to consider.

“Support for women returning to elite levels of refereeing after having children is increasing and this year, the FFA supported two new Mums in returning to their positions as officials on the W-League.

“Regardless, it remains an enormous physical and emotional challenge/choice that women referees will face in their career.

“In 2019, NSW-based W-League referee, Kelly Jones, successfully returned to her place on the WNPL and W-League referees panels after giving birth to her first child.

“She passed the FIFA International Women’s Referee Fitness Test just three months after the birth of her son and returned to the WNPL while still breastfeeding.

This is an enormous achievement which should be acknowledged and celebrated. If you can’t see it, you can’t be it.

“We need to recognise and support women referees and players who return to football and, in this case the highest levels, after becoming mums," she said.

"Women and mothers play an important role in football and motherhood should not be a barrier to this.

“Kelly Jones is a wonderful example of how motherhood does not have to be a barrier for women playing and officiating in football at the highest levels.”

It is fair to say referees like Sarah Ho are blowing the whistle on the opportunities available for females in the world game.