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About | Red Card the Refs! |
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| Written by Sean Butterworth | |
| Tuesday, 18 September 2007 | |
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Last year rugby fans around the world tuned in to watch the 2007 Rugby World Cup, expecting great excitement and wonderful displays of classic rugby skills. But what we did not want were highly suspect decisions by refs who had their own agendas about which teams they preferred to see win the Cup. In the past, too many matches have been spoilt by biased or incompetent referees - the outcome is the same! – and we as fans are saying NO MORE!! So, to ensure that important matches are not influenced by biased or crooked refs, this website, rugbyredcard.com provides rugby enthusiasts with the opportunity to deliver their views, opinions, and judgements about the performance of referees . The fact is, bad refereeing not only spoils the spectacle of good rugby matches, but also destroys the spirit of the contest and devalues the eventual outcome. Shoddy and ineffectual officiating aside, the bitter taste of defeat is made that much more unbearable when you know the referee deliberately forced the outcome.The International Rugby Board (IRB) is the controlling authority for rugby world-wide, and decides which referees and officials officiate at international games. In the past, rugby fans accepted the bona fides of all these officials without question. The game has changed, and we demand that the officials have the technical skills and intelligence to manage matches at the demanding level of today’s contests. The IRB Code of Conduct, quite rightly, states that a person “shall not abuse, threaten or intimidate a referee, touch judge or other match officials, whether on or off the field.” In terms of the IRB Code, this makes match officials untouchable - but it directly endorses, however, the very point this website raises: why is it necessary to include such sentiments in the IRB Code in the first place? Sadly, the reason is that referees are only human, and sometimes make mistakes. But there is a world of difference between genuine mistakes - which could cost the game - and subtle, or covert, bias – for whatever reason, be it patriotic, prejudice, or just simple financial gain. And there is no recourse should referees and/or other match officials deliberately favour one team. What happens, is that one team is unfairly disadvantaged, and the other enjoys an undeserved victory. After the game, someone in the IRB “old boys’ club” may mutter a few comments. But by then it is too late. The game is over. Sportswriters too may make their negative observations. But the result stands, and the caravan rolls on. It is not right. And it is not fair. And it is not what we want! Which is precisely why this website has been started - so that we, rugby fans worldwide, can have our say and do something about it. The fact is, rugby has become a serious business, particularly at international level. Fans pay plenty to watch the games, and we expect to get our money’s worth! We are expecting, clean, exciting, open rugby, played at the highest level by committed athletes. And we will not accept someone with a whistle and an attitude spoiling our entertainment. So, if you have a gripe – or a comment – or wish to say something about the way a rugby match was handled, at last you have a forum through which you can express yourself. |