“We know where your children go to school.” That was just one threatening line in a shockingly obnoxious letter delivered to the IRFU, addressed to me, after one particular match a long time ago. It was signed off by a doctor who turned out not to exist. Nonetheless it was a chilling read. A precursor of today’s vile stuff posted on social media.
As bad as messages, threats and verbal attacks are there is also a risk that they will become physical. In France Rugby League (rugby à Xlll) has just handed out a 20-year suspension to a young 19-year-old player for punching a referee.
The same thing could all too easily happen in rugby union. We all remember the horrifying moment when Irish referee David McHugh was assaulted in Durban by a pitch-invading spectator. The speedy intervention of New Zealander Richie McCaw and South Africa’s AJ Venter prevented this from ending up with much more than a very painful broken shoulder for McHugh.
Who are Ireland’s next young rugby stars?
Abuse of match officials gets huge publicity when it happens in the professional game, where pundits are generally careful when wording their criticism of referees. But sometimes there is unhelpful, provocative, headline-grabbing stuff. A Stephen Ferris comment referencing Mack Hansen’s recent diatribe, opined that it was “really refreshing for a player to come out and absolutely go to town on the referee”. Open season then, I suppose?
However, most incidents of intimidation and abuse take place at amateur level, where the vast majority of rugby is played, rarely reaching the media. Age grade rugby is everything up to and including 18-year-olds, and sadly it’s where the abuse is particularly bad.
I’m sure we’ve all seen it. Two teams going at it hammer and tongs while the touchline behaviour of people – some who are parents of the players – is awful. These people, I am certain, behave perfectly normally in their everyday lives, have good jobs, nice homes, lovely kids. However, in the context of watching their children play a game of rugby they morph quickly from Dr Jekyll into Mr Hyde. Or indeed Mrs Hyde – it’s not just the Dads.
Facilitating these matches, enabling them to take place, are referees who are not too bad, nor, perhaps, particularly good. But one thing is certain, they don’t give up their time to be insulted. Manfully they stick it out to the end despite having every right and reason to call the whole thing off, throw away the whistle, and dust off their golf clubs. There are far more enjoyable ways to while away an afternoon.
Some 15 years ago Shannon played Cork Constitution in the All-Ireland league, always a hard fought encounter. In the final moments referee George Clancy awarded Con’ a match-winning penalty. Leaving the pitch, heading for a warm shower, Clancy was subjected to a barrage of foul language, angry abuse of frightening proportions, delivered by Shannon supporters.
It continued when the match officials reached their changing room, with the abusers trying to gain access. The assistant referees played an important part in preventing things from getting completely out of hand and it wasn’t a far cry from physical confrontation.
Whether or not the behaviour was down to the liquid element of the prematch lunch is an irrelevance. The IRFU disciplinary committee knew that the only option was to come down hard. Shannon were hit with a €25,000 fine, together with a six-point league table deduction, with the latter part of the punishment suspended.
Just imagine the same scenario in a junior match, with each team providing a touch judge. The referee has arrived alone, and with nobody to help him, he would undoubtedly feel afraid. That’s definitely not what he turned up for. Again the golf club has much more appeal.
The majority of club members’ behaviour isn’t a problem for referees who should not be over sensitive about having a reasonable, constructive post-match chat. Equally, every club will know if it has members who may become dangerously outraged at what they perceive as poor refereeing performances. Those clubs could usefully undertake some affirmative, pre-emptive action.
Referee abuse stands alone as the greatest negative factor in the vital areas of referee recruitment and retention. The IRFU is, of course, more than fully aware of what is a significant problem, and that despite the severe Shannon sanctions it has never gone away.
The governing body sat down recently with the relevant committees in the four provinces to plan how to deal with this vexed issue in a cohesive, consistent fashion. The outcome is good, each province will now follow World Rugby’s relevant regulations which comprehensively cover every type of abuse, both verbal and physical. There is no hiding place.
It is a positive proactive move by the union and provinces. Offenders, and clubs, face the prospect of stiff sentences, fines, points deductions. It’s a long list which should ensure that a strong deterrent exists. Everyone also needs to remember the simple old truism that without a referee there is no game.
Many clubs do, and all of them should, look after visiting referees properly, making sure they enjoy their day, and some post-match convivial hospitality. Leaving with a good feeling means that referees will look forward to returning. Being ignored, isolated, or hounded out of the ground will have quite the opposite effect. Why bother?
Finally, a word to the amateur match officials and the volunteer referee organisations in each province. You do a terrific, invaluable job, which must be recognised and applauded. I’m pleased to have this opportunity to say so.
