The rules are obvious to those that know them ,but lately there is just so much confusion for the players as they tend to change every other week. The problem is the referees interpretation and this should not be the case.
Today world rugby announced that they have lined up a disciplinary hearing for the South African Rugby coach/CEO Rassie Erasmus. I personally believe it is a good thing tat this happens as what he said held some truths and they need to be raised.
Refereeing in rugby does need to be looked at under a microscope as there are just too many inconsistencies right now. What one referee may deem as a foul or a penalty another will just ignore it. These are the calls the players and management of teams want fixed as the laws are fairly simple if you blow accordingly.
Look there are some grey areas but not really if you have played and understand the game. I have said it for years that referees should be made up of ex players but looking around there are only one or two who have done this. The way they read the game is totally different to the others who have come in and have no feel for what goes on.
As a player you train during the week working very hard at your set moves yet have no idea how the game will pan out as the referee that you get could cock up what you are working towards. The truth is referees are very thin on the ground and the ones who have made it to the top level are not necessarily a top referee.
I won't highlight names but we all know the referees you wouldn't want if you were going to be playing a match. That to me is just plain wrong as it should make no difference but that is not the case. One referee knocked New Zealand out of the World Cup in 2007 and who says they wouldn't have won that event and these are the big calls that need to be addressed.
With so much money flowing around the game it is up to World Rugby to fix what is so obviously wrong before it becomes too big a problem. Money solves anything and it is up to the powers that be to encourage players and ex players to take up the whistle by throwing money at this role.
How can you have multi millionaires playing the sport and have someone blowing the whistle earning pocket change and expenses. Referees are paid fairly decently but nowhere near where the salary needs to be. I am hoping at some point like now someone speaks up and attacks the establishment as things are that wrong.
I haven't looked at the video Erasmus made from the first test match but he has highlighted 26 incidents of questionable calls. One could forgive a referee for having one or two but 26 does sound a bit drastic. I have watched certain games and have cringed only to turn the television off as the officiating is more than questionable. When you know the rules it makes things worse and unfortunately many fans and players don't.
This is an easy fix as the standards need to be raised as this is what the game requires and needs. VAR won't help as we have seen the bad calls from football due to the amateurs behind the screen making the calls and are also in a similar situation to where Rugby finds itself today.
