RUGBY – Broken Traditions

Rugby is a game build on old style traditions and honour both on and off the field, listen hard enough and you will hear supporters and players telling you as much. Since the start of last season when the Television Match Official was given new powers to help the referee with decisions with regard to foul play and try scoring.

Ever since this has come in, I have seen an increasing number of players appealing to the referee to go upstairs for nearly every decision. Not just captains, you have scrum halves telling referees how to do their job and looking for penalties at every break in play. A number of officials have nipped it in the bud and that has done the trick. Now with the increased TMO interventions, it has seen more instances where players will look to the referee to “Go Upstairs “.

As I said Rugby is a game build on strong traditions like silence for a goal kicker, clapping the opposition off at full time. In recent times those particular traditions seem to be a distant memory as increased numbers of players are crying foul and also the odd player is looking to have an opponent sin binned. It has happened and it needs to be stamped out at the top level as well as at club level.

As we see a number of ex professionals also singing the praises of players day in day out. Nobody has made mention that these guys need to stop looking for penalties at every turn.  For a sport that prides itself on honesty and integrity, it hasn’t shown much of either in recent weeks. During the World Cup, a number of players looked to the referee to refer a number of calls to the TMO.

If you introduced a referral system like the one used in tennis where a player has three chances per set to challenge the officials call, this would limit the number of stoppages during a game. I realise it is difficult for players to keep themselves under control  as critical moments during games but they need to realise that with all the old traditions attached to the game , they need to uphold those traditions throughout the season and not just for one game.

The referee’s seem to have good control of each game they take charge of along with the support of the assistants , not many acts of foul play escapes there notice during a game. If they see fit they will call on the TMO to assist them. They do not need players or supporters baying for blood each time.

This game is very special and the traditions that it is built on are special, they need to be respected and honoured each and every time the players cross the white line. For Rugby’s sake I hope things change and people begin to remember why Rugby gained its reputation for a sport where the referee’s decision is final…

By

Cian Mc Gibney

30/11/2015