Rugby League World Cup: Kasey Badger to referee Wales v Tonga

Kasey Badger has been a touch judge for NRL games and refereed the Women's NRL Grand Final earlier this year

Kasey Badger hopes becoming the first woman to referee a men's Rugby League World Cup game will inspire more females to be involved in the sport.

The Australian said she felt "shock" and "disbelief" when she was told she would be in control of Wales' Group D match with Tonga on Monday.

Rochelle Tamarua of New Zealand will be a touch judge, meaning two of the three on-field officials will be women.

Badger refereed the Women's NRL Grand Final in Sydney earlier this month.

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She has taken control of men's pre-season games and been a touch judge in the men's NRL, but is yet to referee a match in the premier men's domestic competition in Australia.

Speaking before being a touch judge at Scotland's Group B match against Australia in Coventry on Friday, Badger told BBC Sport: "I hope in years to come there will be a female who approaches me and says: 'I took up refereeing because I saw you referee that game, or I read an article, or I saw something on TV about you refereeing that Test match.'

"That's what moments like this can generate, getting it out to the wider public.

"There's a young girl who might start refereeing or get involved in rugby league in some capacity; whether that be as a fan, player or as a coach, whatever it might be - they might get involved because they see what I'm about to do."

Kasey Badger (left) was a touch judge for the World Cup match between Greece and France in Doncaster on Monday

There are three female officials in the group of 28 appointed to take charge of matches in the men's and women's events; Badger, Tamarua and another Australian, Belinda Sharpe.

Badger appeared as a touch judge for France's Group A win over Greece on Monday and thought it was likely she would take charge of games in the women's tournament, but said refereeing a men's match was "definitely not something on my radar".

She continued: "If the chairs weren't so small and I didn't have a little bench in front of me, I reckon I would have fallen out of my chair.

"I harbour ambitions to take control of any games I can get my hands on at any sort of elite level, but this is not something that was expected.

"I more had my mind on touch-judging in the men's games and potentially getting to referee some of the women's games, so when I found out this would happening it was a complete shock."