SANZAR have warned coaches that taking unnecessary pot-shots at referees could land them in hot water.
New Zealand referee Chris Pollock has been axed from the Super Rugby play-offs, because of poor form.
rugby365
The decision to drop the Kiwi down the pecking order comes in the wake of a growing chorus of outcries against the declining standards of refereeing.
Stormers coach Allister Coetzee, Blues coach John Kirwan and Waratahs mentor Michael Cheika all criticised referees at the weekend.
SANZAR Chief Executive Greg Peters, in an exclusive interview with this website, confirmed that they will not tolerate abusive behaviour towards match officials.
“We are looking at those at present and considering them,” when asked if there had been any complaints about all the coaches having a go at referees.
“Ultimately we don’t want to stifle debate on the game,” Peters told this website.
“There is no problem with a genuinely held belief that a decision [made by a referee] was wrong, [when] using temperate language.
“However, if it goes to questioning the integrity of the referee or is abusive or insulting [language] that is when it is of more concern to us.”
Coetzee, in his post-season assessment after the team’s 30-13 victory over he Bulls at Newlands at the weekend, pulled no punches – despite his team already having being fined once this season in a stand-off with officialdom.
Coetzee said he felt there were two matches in which questionable calls from match official cost his team – defeats which ultimately cost them a place in the Super Rugby play-offs.
The Stormers coach’s verbal barrage against match officials came on a weekend which also saw Kirwan and Cheika launch scathing attacks on referees.
An incensed Kirwan demanded referee Chris Pollock be held accountable for his ruling in a red-card controversy which he said ruined their Super Rugby match against the Chiefs at the weekend.
And Cheika has joined his colleagues in taking aim at the poor standard of refereeing in Super Rugby, suggesting they are turning the game into ‘touch rugby’ – with Steve Walsh the target of his scolding.
Earlier in the season former All Black coach Graham Henry, who is now a Blues assistant coach, was let off with a reprimand and an agreement to issue a public apology – having labelled fellow Kiwi Keith Brown a “blind TMO”.
The growing number of coaches crying out against referees and other match officials suggest the problem needs to be addressed urgently.
The axing of Pollock, New Zealand’s No.1 referee, will be seen as a step in the right direction.
But Peters warned coaches that there is a fine line between acceptable criticism and abusive behaviour.
Eishhhh SANZAR!
You got no balls, and when you perport to have some, it is done to protect a protected species even more.
What makes referees such untouchables?
I cannot get my head around that… if the ref was kak, why can’t all and sundry say he was kak… full stop!
Hehe, ook maar goed SANZAR lees nie RT nie, anders het hul vir my en Superbul laat toesluit op Robbeneiland na ons Joubert so ge-bash het Saterdag …. terwyl die Stormers ons span ge-bash het op die veld.
Die beste oplossing is neutrale skeidsregters vir al die wedstryde. Gee minder geld vir al daardie vet SANZAR base sodat daar meer geld is om noordelike halfrond skeidsregters te gebruik in superrugby.
Go Bulle en Cheetahs !
Hi all, I am new here… duh!
On the referee issue – my advise to a coach etc: NEVER comment on the ref during or after a game, wait a few days and watch the game again without the emotions and then analyse and comment accordingly.
I for one usually have a lot to say about the ref but a few days later after combing through the video… not so much.
My 2cents.
3 @ JT:
Hi there JT welcome to the site, good to have you onboard. Its quite right about how passionate we are with the rugby and can get emotional but I guess for me the one thing I want to see in a game is consistency, ie. if a referee blows up (whether correctly or not)one team for doing something then he should do the same to the other team at the time its needed, otherwise it makes watching difficult especially with the constant tinkering with the Laws of the game. Also don’t like to see referees ‘coaching’ teams, phrases like ‘release’, ‘back feet’ etc even more so in games where it appears they ‘coach’ one team and not the other, the players are professionals so if they do something wrong ping them don’t try and help them to avoid being blown up.
Sorry JT meant to ask you which team you support?
@ Bullscot:
I have analyzed referees for a group during teh S12 era and doing that I realized how good these referees really are.
For example I remember a game that Stuart Dickson refereed and SA were in uproar about the way we lost a close game – I was angry too but analyzing the game I saw that his accuracy was one of the highest on that weekend and only the fact that our team lost a game they should have won was the difference.
The Ref does not miss tackles, drop the ball and dive off his feet which we as supporters usually don’t like to admit. For example the Bulls v Stormers game on the weekend – Bulls were kak and Stormers deserved the win – most Bulls supporters were livid with Joubert during and after the game… Ask them now the most will admit the better side was the Stormers.
@ Bullscot:
I support rugby 😉
Traditionally I will probably be called a WP supporter but on the weekend I was supporting the Bulls, this weekend I will be supporting the Cheetahs and the Saders.
I support teams that entertain me and from which I can learn something.
6 @ JT:
That sounds quite interesting it’s always good to have some sound reasoned look at things to balance the emotion (but we should never ignore the passion). Didn’t watch the game against the Stormers so can’t comment on how the ref did in that one but by most accounts the Stormers played out of their skin, possibly their best game of the season, and forced us Bulls into playing badly also the final score and 3 tries to 1 told me that even if the ref hadn’t been great it seemed the Stormers deserved the win.
As you have done the analysis of refs I am curious to know why they ‘coach’ teams, is it under instruction to try and ensure a more flowing game, are their guidelines as to how much they can do in a game and what particular areas if they have to ‘coach’ do they need to concentrate on? Surely this makes a tough job harder for the refs, I say leave the coaching to the coaching staff not to the refs on field.
The protected species that is the whisle blower gets better protection than the odd toed ungulates known collectively as Rhinocerotidae.
Stop protecting the poor performances.
Rugby is played by the players. A good ref is one that is forgotten about 30 seconds after the final whistle.
Seems to me that once a ref’ get’s onto the elite panel it all becomes an issue about himelf and not the game. IMO one who has a particullar narciistic tendency is Lourens vd Merwe. Trumped up littel bag of wind.
Our game is getting softer by the year, and one of these days will be unrecogniseable from that of the amateur era.
“Crouch, bind, remember not to hurt each other, engage” Scrum sequence for 2015 RWC.
JT wrote:
You should be in politics JT
I normally would say thats a shame who you support but now you and some of your fellow WP supporters who were on here during the game actually showed you can be decent folk as they were also supporting the Bulls, against their own team nogal
@ Bullscot:
I disagree – I am a coach and referee so I am biased.
here are my views on some issues on referees:
1. Don’t interprate the Laws just apply them! Teams will fall in line sooner rather than later. Be more strict!
2. ref coaching: showing the off-side line at rucks, call the ball in or out of a ruck I can live with and feel it to be helpful BUT telling a player to stay on his feet or to release the ball!? that is too late! Penalize the bliksim!
3. rather miss a call than guess! NEVER EVER GUESS! being unsighted is not a sin – it happens.
Bulls looked tired and off the pace – I think the Sharks game took a lot out of them!
@ Scrumdown:
a ref is only forgotten 30secounds after the game by the teams supporters that actually won the game… The other teams supporters however…
@ Bullscot:
I am a WP supporter – that does not equal Stormers!
I don’t like this franchise crap in the S15 – bring back promotion relegation from the CC. Top 5 CC teams play in the next years S15 and can recruit from provinces that did not make it on a loan basis.
12 @ JT:
When I was involved in Rugy development up until a couple of years ago, I used to tell my players to raise their game above the level where the referree was a factor.
Easy theory, but not easy in practice, especially in club lower leagues where the ref’s are not always the best or impartial.
Not an excuse though.
13 @ JT:
Hear hear.
13 @ JT:
IF the Lions beat the Kings to regain a Super Rugby spot, it will be interesting to see the make up of the Lions “franchise”, after having had very public fall outs with both the Pumas and Leopards.
@ Scrumdown:
I don’t like the way the Kings got into the S15 but damn they were entertaining at times and I hope they win and get another go at S15 rugby.
I would rather drop the franchise system and stick to the priovinces – this way a small province like Griquas or Pumas can go for glory at S15 level the same as a bigger union.
16 @ JT:
Hi,
Saw your registration… welcome!
Am I mistaken or do you also blog on Ruggaworld?
@ Scrumdown:
I coach my players to play to the ref – easier said than doen. My team have won games by winning over the ref, unfortunately we lost a few by aliennating the ref.
a captain can be very influencial when it comes to referees. John Smit kept his cool and treated referees with respect, similar to JdV. Matfield was not a good captain for example, he lost his cool and started argueing with the ref and that does not help your team.
add to that if you know the ref is strict on X and slack on Y then prepare your team in that way – common sense IMO. Adapting your style of play to the ref is easier and more benefitial than to moan after the game to get the ref sacked.
@ grootblousmile:
yep – not much happening on that site at the moment 🙁
16 @ JT:
Downside of it is that if you look at CC last season, FS came last and had to play the Kings in promotion / relegation series, and yet in Super Rugby they’ve been far better (results and (IMO) “Rugbywise”) than both the Stormers and Sharks.
Swings and roundabouts?
19 @ JT:
We have great relations with Ruggaworld… and I like the folks there.
Yip, with Morné Pismier now at SARU, it can’t be easy to lose a stalwart and keep content going… hopefully it’s just a phase at Ruggaworld and they all find their feet soon again.
Good to have a coach like you on board here!
18 @ JT:
And yet the SA senior Nationl side seem utterly incapable of “reading” ANY referree on any given matchday and changing their play accordingly.
It also seems to me that no matter how much a ref’ is analysed before a game the SA side just CAN’T seem to be able to adapt their game plan to his particular “interpretation” / idiocyncrasies.
@ Scrumdown:
I think it is because the big unions are not taking the CC seriously anymore 🙁
It is our traditional strength – we should get back to that.
In France the Top14 is more important to the clubs than the HC and that is the way it should be!
@ grootblousmile:
thanks – I am enjoying the debate so far 🙂
@ grootblousmile:
My significant other requested that I enquire of you the availabilty of a “car charger” for notebooks.
Do you know of such a gadget? If so what cost?
24 @ JT:
Great…
There comes a time when a certain rugby issue is out-debated… feel free in taking part in some twakpraat as well.
You will find our community here respectful, yet we also differ and banter.
Interesting that you note that as an analyst the refs are actually quite accurate, in general. But hell, I must say I find SANZAR’s overprotective stance towards refs overbearing.
Do you know why they are so overprotective? Could it be the fact that they have a general shortage of refs in the world and for that reason maybe they do not want to frighten off people to become refs?
I also find the world trend as well as SA trend not transparent enough as far as diciplining or repremanding of refs is concerned… once again, WHY?
11 @ JT:
1. Agree there I think as too often for us fans is the varying interpretation of the referees thats cause the frustration and confusion, too much subjectivety. It may lead to more stops and starts in the game which is not great to watch but eventually as you say teams will fall in line (or is that maybe a naive view point – quite tough daresay near impossible to get all the referees at all the levels of the game in various parts of the world to do that, even more so when they have to adapt to frequently changing Laws and even different Laws in same season depening where in the world they are blowing. an example is why do we still have different numbers making up match day squads, its been 23 here up north for at least a year now I think, Boks had to play 23 on their tour of UK last year, yet Super rugby still have squads of 22?
2. Interesting views from someone who is there and does it thanks, seems you advocate more ‘informing’ rather than ‘coaching’ eg. not all the players involved in the ruck will be aware the ball is out but all the players in the ruck should know how to compete properly.
3. That’s right agree shouldn’t guess, after all they have another two pairs of eyes on the touch line who can help look for things, maybe touch judges need to get more involved than they are? Plus in certain instances they call on TMO too now.
What a pleasure to see the other side of the argument! Welcome JT!!!!
@ grootblousmile: If you have time today, can we do the computer thingy? I am at home all day, so a good time for me.
25 @ Scrumdown:
Yip, quite easy to get… and not too expensive!
Probably around R 200.00 to R 300.00. Basically a fully fledged normal charger, but with the lighter socket attachment too.
For which Notebook is it? Make, Model…
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