Rugby refereeing requires more support
View(s):Refereeing needs more support from the rugby authorities. That’s according to a distinguished panel for former international players at the IRB Conference and Exhibition in London this week. Looking at the state of the game, Sean Fitzpatrick (New Zealand,), Thomas Castaignede (France) and Agustin Pichot (Argentina) all agreed that when it come to attracting more former players into the refereeing community, the
Sometimes, a red card given by a referee could earn him a place in the spectators’ blacklist - File pic
authorities have plenty of work to do. Speaking at the event, Sean Fitzpatrick said, “Former players just don’t see it as a career path, maybe the IRB need to make more of it as career opportunity,” highlighting the decision fellow Kiwi, Glen Jackson made as an exception. Pichot commented, “There’s plenty of effort to get players into coaching, but refereeing has been left behind.” The problem is on all over.
The interim committee for rugby referees in Sri Lanka is on the road to spread the word among school boys to invite them to take the whistle. The committee is strong in going back to a situation where School Junior rugby matches will be refereed by someone from the school. This could be player a parent or another well wisher. It is hoped that some of them will follow a path to of being a referee. It does not appear that most of the schools have taken this seriously.
I saw the current players in the middle at St. Joseph’s College in a tag rugby tournament played about a month ago. Isipathana a contributor to rugby in all forms of the game gave the opportunity to the Union to present a case for the boys to take the whistle in the junior games. During this time Nalin de Silva the Secretary of the Union introduced a rugby player who has done proud to his school, club and country. The secretary was very proud in saying that this player; one of three siblings who has played at the highest level has agreed to take the whistle.
The player however reminded that it was three weeks ago that he agreed but has changed his mind since seeing the abuse and the physical threat, two weeks ago. That is the realistic situation the country faces when it comes to rugby referees. Much coaxing by the Secretary that action has been taken but it was a difficult task to ask this player to change his mind.
Whenever these boys are playing you would see the parents come to see them playing. A simple question one asked is when the parents if they come to see the son referee would they like to hear the comments made questioning the legality of birth and the virtues of the mother.
The lack of feeling and or understanding was seen when I heard a comment that a referee willingly place themselves in a position where harm is awaiting. Knowing that some degree of harm might result; referees should not bring a claim against the other party. The argument is that they willingly accepted to referee knowing that they will come for a degree of public abuse. The answer lies in that the referee knows that he will get flak as normal in a game but has not accepted to be abused or physically assaulted. This is similar to a boxer who consents to being hit but he does not agree to being hit with a knuckle duster or an iron bar.
Another cranky follow on the referee was not assaulted on the field but the attempt was on his way to the dressing room and there is nothing the match organisers can do. I thought this was in jest; not a point made seriously unless the person has had no knowledge of how world rugby protects the referees. A case in point was the French coach who was punished for abusing a referee in a hotel foyer many weeks after the game.
While agreeing that referees make mistakes, one must accept that it is human and this is a game. Two years ago the British Lions hooker had to stay back and not take the plane with his team mates for a test match. This was because he was suspended for 11 months for the verbal abuse he heaped on the referee. That was for calling the referee a cheat.
It was indeed a very bold step that was taken in the punishment that was meted out to the Navy team where even a spectator was punished. Navy in this instance was agreeable to accept the inquiry process as well as the punishment given to them. The issue of the abuse complaint after the CR vs Kandy is work in progress. So is another against a school.
Some want to argue that the referee knows of what is in store and therefore he cannot complain if he is abused. This does not hold ground according to this person as a referee accepts to referee and not be physically abused.
On the other hand he thinks that the others such as, clubs and schools know that there is a need for a referee if a match is to be played and have accepted to play the game. Nobody is compelling them to play and therefore they have no grounds to plead and make noise about the referees as that is what they have accepted. They know that there can be issues or more specifically harm that may arise. Since it has been accepted by entering a tournament there is little to grumble. On the other hand if they know that they will be injured the best course of action is then to stay out of the tournament and save face as well as money. This I thought is an interesting argument that need to be thought of in taking forward the game than pander to the whims and whining which continues by the day and nobody wants to take a whistle and be in the middle. If they want to better the standards which people think is poor, then do it.
Vimal Perera is a former Rugby Referee, coach and Accredited Referees Evaluator IRB