RefBlog – Views from a Rugby Referee
Just catching up on Claire Daniels blog. She has a great quote from a Premiership prop which she liked, and I like so Im shamelessly copying it here. When discussing refereeing the front row:
“You try doing a squat with 800kg, stand on one leg, cover one of your eyes and then get smacked in the other – half the time I don’t know what’s going on, how do you expect a referee to?”
Quality!
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: props, Refereeing front row | Leave a Comment »
Suppose this is the downside to being a professional referee:
Referee binned after Tahs error
AUSTRALIAN referee Paul Marks has been dumped indefinitely from Super 14 matches following his handling of the NSW-Sharks match, with SANZAR referees chief Lyndon Bray admitting yesterday a last-gasp penalty try should have been awarded to the South Africans.
Sharks coach John Plumtree complained bitterly after Saturday’s 25-21 loss to the Waratahs at the Sydney Football Stadium that the Sydney-based Marks should have ruled Kurtley Beale’s 78th-minute knock-down of a pass to Ryan Kankowski warranted a penalty try — which would assuredly have handed the Natal side the victory.
Instead, Marks gave Beale a yellow card and only awarded the Sharks a penalty. From the ensuing lineout, he penalised Sharks prop Jannie du Plesis for obstruction in a rolling maul after he had lifted jumper Wilhelm Steenkamp to win the throw barely a metre from the NSW tryline.
The referees’ selection panel of Australian Andrew Cole, South Africa’s Tappe Henning and New Zealand’s Colin Hawke, taking account of Marks’s performances in his past two matches, voted to drop him from the Super 14 panel until he has rectified shortcomings in his game management. South African referee Pro Legoete has also been stood down indefinitely.
“There was some imbalance from a management perspective, how he (Marks) arrived at these big decisions and how they were presented,” Bray said.
The SANZAR boss said Marks’s decision not to award the Sharks a match-winning penalty try was only one event and his overall handling of the game was taken into account.
“In fairness to Paul, you could debate the penalty try ruling all day,” Bray said. “We believe the right decision in the cold light of day was to award a penalty try, but you could argue why a referee would back off it.”
Cole maintained that front-on video footage had shown that contrary to South African claims Kankowski would have had an unimpeded run to the tryline, Waratahs centre Tom Carter was coming across in cover defence.
“Admittedly he had a fair bit of work to do, and we all know how quick Kankowski is,” Cole said.
“But Paul would have seen him in his peripheral vision . . . he would have known there was a defender there.”
Cole will work with Marks on improving his game management, and is confident he will be back refereeing at the top level before the end of the Super 14 tournament.
But his demotion comes too late for the Sharks, who take a 0-4 win-loss record — and a feeling that nothing is going their way — into their match with the Brumbies in Canberra on Saturday.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: Australia, Paul Marks, referee, Rugby, S14 | Leave a Comment »
As any ref will know there are some great people out and about at clubs we go to. As you go more often to those clubs, you figure out who the really nice ones are. At the club I was at yesterday I was a little sad to not be meeting one of these gents as Id been told he’d passed away late last year. A former Barbarian , referee (international I think) and and a club stalwart, holding every role going. He was the club’s referee liaison office and had been ill last time I was there, and was in the twilight of his life (by his own admission) and had had a good innings.
Imagine one’s surprise therefore when he walked into the changing room afterwards as he usually does. I dont think my face demonstrated what I was thinking!
Must speak to my friend and find out who it was that did pass away then!
To all these gents (and increasingly ladies) – we salute you and your ongoing hospitality! You sometimes make it all worthwhile!
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Not sure Ive ever described myself, or been described as flawless, but Mr Pitbull himself seems to have suggested that his start as a referee was that good. Just a shame that 3 mins later it was all over. Anyway, I’d take 3 mins of flawlessness anytime.
Read his account here: http://is.gd/9yvoC
Some great insight into what we get up to!
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As you may realise, I spent Friday night in Dublin looking after a British & Irish Cup game. Not a brilliant evening of free flowing rugby, it must be said! 35 scrums & 20-odd lineouts – chuck in 20 pens or so and you have nearly 80 stoppages in 80 mins. You do the math!
Well, it seems some of the local fans didn’t appreciate my efforts. Haven’t been called a “Dipshit” in public for some time! 
The big question – shall I chuck a comment or two on the forum and challenge the viewing public or leave them to it? I’ve mused on that before on other more UK based fora but decided not to.
What do you think?
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It seems that the the French RFU are playing an interesting game relating to M. Dupuy’s 23 week ban for gouging. According to a Rugby365.com article I just read, the French authorities are meeting to discuss whether to make the ban count in France. Erm..don’t all applicant clubs sign up to the rules before the competition start?
Stade Francais president Max Guazzini said this.
“A private company based in Ireland [European Cup organisers European Rugby Cup] is preventing a salaried club member from working and playing [in France],” he said.
Erm.. Yep! That would the private company based in Ireland, whose competition you applied to enter? Surely you can’t be on both sides if this? You either play by the rules, or you don’t play the game??
Bizarre!
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: Ban, Dupuy, Heineken Cup | Leave a Comment »
Refs to front at post match media conferences
2/10/2010 6:00 AM
Photosport
Major rethink for rugby’s referees who will attend post-match media conferences in future to be held accountable for their performances
A desire to see an all round improvement in rugby has resulted in a major shift in thinking from referees.
Whistle-blowers are about to be made more accountable for their performances by fronting up to post-match media conferences.
NZRU refs boss Lyndon Bray says while some have been reluctant to do so in the past, they have come to an agreement they need to be available to the public. He says it is an important step which brings them into line with the players and coaches.
Lyndon says he is also working with IRB refs boss Paddy O’Brien and a newly appointed European referee head to get uniformity of rule interpretations across both hemispheres.
Rugby’s rule makers are going on the offensive in a bid to stamp out illegal play and make the game more appealing.
Bray says the feedback from coaches is that it has taken too long in the past for there to be any real consequence for constant infringing. He says this season they need to get players complying with the rules early so it may be a case of going beyond penalties. He expects yellow cards to be used earlier to force players into a change of behaviour.
via Radio Sport – Just Sport – New Zealand’s Sports Network – Rugby.
A really interesting move. Don’t know if I’m alone in this, but I reckon this would be a good move for us too. We are becoming more accountable in the public space for what we do. We have regular reviews and updates with our management on the Referee Unit and a free exchange of views with Directors of Rugby and co after games, so this seems to be a natural next step. Ive forgotten how many times Ive wanted to contribute to public comment on media websites etc, but have held my tongue (or finger!). Be interested to see how this S14 trial works.
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Sad news today. A voice we probably all grew up listening to. Always inspiring. Always positive about our great sport. A sad loss.
Voice of rugby Bill McLaren dies
Bill McLaren, known as the “voice of rugby”, has died Commentator Bill McLaren, known popularly as the “voice of rugby” has died at the age of 86. Mr McLaren, from Hawick, retired in 2002 and received an OBE, CBE and MBE for services to the sport. He began commentating even before his 10th birthday by copying the voices he heard on the radio. He went on to earn the respect of players, fans, and spectators by being the best-researched commentator rugby had ever seen.
Source: BBC Sport
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Today has been quite cathartic really.
Some time ago, you may recall I did a small boo boo and rightly apologised for my error. Today, I returned to the scene of the crime for the first time. No real drama today, thank goodness. Home win, in a game I dont think any of us thought would really take place given the amount of snow we’ve had around these parts in the last few weeks. I’ve fared quite well with games during the poor weather, with some of my comrades now into their 5th week without a game. Glad I got a game in on the 2 Jan as well.
Anyway, hope the nasty weather is now behind us and we can get back into this rugby marlarkey we all know and love!
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http://www.heavensgame.com/global-news/globetrotter/are-referees-too-protected.html
Some interesting thoughts here!
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