Referees
Stormers coach Allister Coetzee says he will meet with Stuart Berry to discuss his side’s discipline after the referee heavily punished them in their Super Rugby win over the Lions at Newlands last Saturday.
Despite winning the game 18-3, the Stormers were penalised 20 times by Berry, while Deon Fourie was also yellow-carded.
Chiefs lock Michael Fitzgerald has been suspended for one week after he pleaded guilty on a charge of dangerous tackling in his team’s 10th round Super Rugby match against the Crusaders.
SANZAR Duty Judicial Officer Jannie Lubbe SC accepted a guilty plea from Fitzgerald for contravening Law 10.4 (e) Dangerous Tackling, after he was cited during a Super Rugby match at the weekend.
Crusaders lock Dominic Bird has been suspended for one week for foul play during his team’s 17-18 tenth round Super Rugby victory over the Chiefs on Saturday.
SANZAR Duty Judicial Officer Jannie Lubbe SC accepted a guilty plea from Dominic Bird of the Crusaders for contravening Law 10.4 (e) Dangerous Tackling, after he was cited during a Super Rugby match at the weekend.
SANZAR has released the names of the match officials for Round 10 of Super Rugby 2014.
Nick Bryant starts off proceedings this weekend in the game between the Hurricanes and Blues on Friday at 09:35 SA Time.
This weekend sees 6 games, with 2 games on Friday and 4 games on Saturday.
The Brumbies, Highlanders and Reds have BYE weekends.
Stuart Berry will be the referee in the South African Super Rugby derby between the Stormers and Lions at Newlands on Saturday (17:05 kick-off).
Berry will be assisted by Marius van der Westhuizen and Quinton Immelman, with Shaun Veldsman on Television Match Official (TMO) duty.
SANZAR has released the names of the match officials for Round 8 of Super Rugby 2014.
Rohan Hoffmann starts the action this weekend in Dunedin when the Highlanders take on the Vodacom Bulls.
This weekend sees 6 matches, with 2 games on Friday and 4 games on Saturday.
The Blues, Hurricanes and Stormers have BYE WEEKENDS.
Remember that Daylight Savings Time changes occured all over the Globe on Sunday, so the Time difference between South Africa and their Antipodian counterparts increase bu an hour.
Highlanders wing Kurt Baker has been handed the biggest ban of the Super Rugby season – a six-week suspension for a spear tackle.
Baker was slapped with the suspension for his tackle on Rebels scrumhalf Nick Stirzaker during the Highlanders’ 33-30 win on Dunedin last Friday.
Chiefs wing Asaeli Tikoirotuma has been issued with an off-field yellow card for contravening Law 10.4 (b) stamping or trampling.
Kurt Baker of the Highlanders has been cited by SANZAR for alleged foul play during their Super Rugby match against the Melbourne Rebels on Friday.
SANZAR has released the names of the Match Officials for Round 8 of Super Rugby 2014.
Chris Pollock starts the action this weekend in Dunedin when the Highlanders host the Melbourne Rebels.
This weekend sees 7 games, with 2 on Friday and 5 on Saturday.
The Cell C Sharks have a BYE weekend again, their 2nd one.
The International Rugby Board (IRB) has defended its decision to allow controversial French referee, Romain Poite, to take charge of a Springbok Test later this year.
The Springboks start their season with a match against a World XV on 7 June (venue to be confirmed but believed to be in Cape Town).
No, this is no April Fools joke, it is true… the IRB has released the names of the Match Official Appointments for the June International Test window!
Romain Poite (FFR), hated by most South Africans, will referee the match between South Africa and Wales on 14 June 2014 at Growthpoint Kings Park and will be assisted by Steve Walsh (ARU), Francisco Pastrana (UAR) and Vinnie Munro (NZR).
One could be forgiven to believe, despite our assurances, that this MUST SURELY be an April Fools joke, because apart from the run-in with Romain Poite, South Africans have had run-in’s by Steve Walsh too and just recently Francisco Pastrana was taken off the Super Rugby officiating lists till further notice for his abhorrent and totally inept refereeing performance against yet another South African side.
Let’s cut to the chase and just place the Official Appointments list here for you…
SANZAR has handed out two one-week bans to players for foul play, while the Sharks’ Springbok centre Frans Steyn was given an off-field yellow card.
Jannie Lubbe, the SANZAR judicial officer, accepted a guilty plea from Waratahs midfielder Rob Horne for contravening Law 10.4 (e): Dangerous tackling.
Waratahs coach Michael Cheika may have spat the dummy about refereeing perceptions, but captain Dave Dennis admitted their own lack of discipline cost them.
The table-topping Sharks overcame a determined Waratahs side in a fiery and often spiteful encounter at Kings Park Stadium in Durban at the weekend.
Highlanders loosehead prop Kane Hames has been cited for alleged foul play in the defeat to the Blues in Auckland on Saturday.
Hames is alleged to have contravened Law 10.4 (h) Dangerous charging when he made contact with Blues’ player Hayden Triggs in the 59th minute of their clash at Eden Park.
Blues coach Sir John Kirwan believes he has the solution to rugby’s scrum problems and wants changes to be made immediately.
The 63-cap former All Blacks wing wants changes to occur to the scrum law in the middle of the season, in order to solve the issues and thinks that the IRB and SANZAR should work together to ensure the decisions are made.
SANZAR wishes to advise two referee appointment changes for the forthcoming round of Super Rugby.
Nick Briant will officiate Crusaders v Hurricanes on Friday night while Steve Walsh will oversee the Blues v Highlanders clash in Auckland on Saturday night.
Reds coach Richard Graham admitted that he felt ‘aggrieved’ at the manner of his team’s 23-20 loss to the Lions at Ellis Park on Saturday.
A late try saw the hosts snatch a dramatic victory from the Reds who finished the match with only 13 players on the field as referee Stuart Berry issued two yellow cards.
The Cheetahs are demanding an explanation from referees boss Lyndon Bray after two controversial decisions in their 40-30 Super 15 loss to the Blues on Saturday.
The Cheetahs’ outrage comes after Bray, the SANZAR referees co-ordinator warned officials they had to be accountable and faced being dropped for making blunders.
SANZAR duty judicial officer Adam Casselden has accepted a guilty plea from Alby Mathewson of the Force for contravening Law 10.4 (b) Stamping or trampling, after he was cited during a Super Rugby match at the weekend.
Mathewson has been suspended from all forms of the game for one week up to and including 30 March 2014.
We have two incidents from Super Rugby in the last two weeks which are worth looking at, both incidents which caused debate and argument and even acrimony.
We are dealing with decisions by top referees in top matches when speed is an essential ingredient, including the speed match officials need to process the information, even when they have help from the replays provided by the TMO.
There is never a rest from debate and argument when it comes to rugby football, certainly not in the application of the most complex set of laws of any sport – a contact sport played by 30 vigorous young men in physical contact in a confined space.
SANZAR has released the names of the match officials for Round 6 of Super Rugby 2014.
Nick Briant takes care of the 1st match in Dunedin where the Highlanders host the Hurricanes.
7 Matches are played this weekend, 2 on Friday and 5 on Saturday.
The Crusaders have their bye weekend.
SANZAR’s referee manager Lyndon Bray has ruled that the Lions were awarded an illegitimate try in the second half of their Super Rugby clash against the Blues at Ellis Park last weekend.
While attempting to score, Lions centre Deon van Rensburg lost the ball when he was tackled by Blues wing Charles Piutau.
Wallabies backrower Ben McCalman’s birthday celebrations were soured on Tuesday when he received a two-week ban for a dangerous tackle in the Super Rugby competition.
The inspirational Western Force No 8 was cited for a spear, or ‘tip’, tackle on Otago Highlanders prop Kame Hames in the 73rd minute of his team’s 31-29 victory in Dunedin on Saturday.
The Reds bemoaned a number of calls made by South African referee Lourens van der Merwe in their 20-35 loss to the Sharks at the weekend.
Despite an impressive second-half fight back at Kings Park, the reds left Durban empty handed.
Blues coach John Kirwan is going to ask SANZAR for ‘clarity’ on a controversial TMO decision made in his team’s 36-39 loss to the Lions in Johannesburg at the weekend.
While Kirwan conceded the Lions were “deserved winners”, he still felt the need to raise the issue of the TMO decision.
Having finally secured back-to-back victories for the first time in nearly three years on Saturday, perennial Super Rugby cellar dwellers the Western Force have a mountain to climb if they are to make it three in a row.
Not only do the Force welcome the Waikato Chiefs to Perth next weekend but they are almost certain to take on the Super Rugby champions without their inspirational No 8 Ben McCalman.
McCalman was cited for a spear tackle on Otago Highlanders prop Kame Hames in the 72nd minute of the Force’s 31-29 victory in Dunedin on Saturday.
Scotland’s Stuart Hogg made a public apology after being sent off during his side’s record Six Nations defeat by Wales in Cardiff on Saturday.
The full-back was given his marching orders at the Millennium Stadium by French referee Jerome Garces in the 22nd minute following a late shoulder charge into the face of Wales fly-half Dan Biggar.
Garces intially produced a yellow card but, after viewing replays on the stadium’s giant screen, changed it to a red.
Lions coach Johan Ackermann has formally asked for “clarity” on certainly questionable rulings made by referee Jaco Peyper in their encounter with the Sharks last week.
Ackermann – who made it clear he is not blaming the match officials for the 23-37 loss in Durban, he laid at the door of a “poor start” by his side and “a lack of discipline” – has written to SANZAR Games Manager Lyndon Bray and South African referees’ boss Andrew Watson.
SANZAR has released the names of the officials for Round 5 of Super Rugby 2014. Craig Joubert starts the action this weekend in Hamilton when the Chiefs host the DHL Stormers.
This weekend has 7 games, with 2 games on Friday and 5 on Saturday.
The Vodacom Bulls have a bye weekend.
SANZAR has released the names of the match officials for Round 4 of Super Rugby 2014. Craig Joubert starts the action this weekend in Wellington with the Hurricanes vs Brumbies match.
This weekend has 6 matches, with 2 on Friday and 4 on Saturday.
The Chiefs, Highlanders and Waratahs have bye weekends.
The RFU have fined Leicester amateurs Aylestone St James £1,575 for “forcibly removing the underwear” of three anonymous north east-based officials.
The incident took place at Aylestone’s Covert Lane clubhouse after a Midlands Three East (North) match with Grimsby.
Jason Jaftha, one of SANZAR’s panel of Super Rugby referees, has suffered what seems to be a serious knee injury.
Governing body Sanzar has confirmed that Television Match Official Deon van Blommenstein made a critical error in awarding Cobus Reinach his try during the Cell C Sharks’ 31 / 16 win over the Vodacom Bulls in their Vodacom Super Rugby match in Durban on the weekend.
Sanzar referees boss Lyndon Bray confirmed the try – which led to repeated replays – should not have been awarded as the ball was knocked-on by Sharks lock Anton Bresler.
Italy prop Michele Rizzo and France front row forward Rabah Slimani have both been banned for two weeks for foul play.
The duo were found guilty of head-butting each other during France’s 30-10 victory over Italy on Sunday at a disciplinary hearing on Wednesday.