The shocking level of abuse aimed at Welsh rugby referees and match officials by players, spectators, coaches and club officials has been laid bare.
As of January 25, 2023, a total of 46 incidents from this season involving poor behaviour towards match officials had gone through the Welsh Rugby Union's disciplinary system. This includes 14 incidents at children's or youth fixtures. The combined bans for all 46 incidents totals 17 years, one month and three weeks.
It's understood the matter of conduct from both players and off-field personnel towards match officials was raised at a recent mid-district rugby meeting, where it was claimed that three incidents are going through the courts system. There is understood to have been more than double the incidents this season, compared to last.
The Welsh Rugby Union says it is encouraging clubs to adopt a zero-tolerance approach to abuse towards match officials.
Of the 123 senior red card offences to go through the sanctioning process so far this term, 15 were related to players' behaviour towards match officials: disrespect, verbal abuse or abuse. Sanctions handed out range from a one-week suspension to an unprecedented 192-week ban to Fairwater RFC player Louis Jones, which you can read more about here. An accumulative suspension of four years, 10 months and three weeks was handed out to the 15 players.
Of 18 misconduct matters already formally dealt with this season, 17 related to officials, including two of verbal and threatening abuse towards a match official. A coach from Girling RFC received a two-year suspension from rugby activities for this, while a player from Pontllanfraith RFC was hit with a 68-week, or 15-month, playing suspension.
A dozen more incidents of verbal abuse were recorded, plus three more of disrespecting a match official. An accumulative suspension of seven years and nine months was handed out in response to the 17 incidents, plus a full season suspension handed out in its own right, and a £500 fine, a suspended fine of £250 and a formal reprimand.
Of 14 age-grade misconduct offences which have been dealt with so far this season, nine involved the verbal abuse of a match official and five involved disrespect. One incident of verbal abuse of a match official saw a club official from Baglan Youth RFC receive a 12-month matchday suspension, while the total accumulative ban for age-grade misconduct offences relating to match officials so far this season tallies up to a matchday suspension of four and a half years. A formal reprimand, educative sanction and suspended financial penalty and suspension were also among the sanctions.
A WRU spokesperson said: "The recruitment and retention of match officials is vital for the game to develop and to grow. We cannot and will not soften our approach on this type of conduct.
“We are working collectively with our clubs to eradicate abusive behaviour towards match officials from our game. The recent level and type of sanctions being imposed by disciplinary panels includes financial penalties and lengthy period of suspensions.
“The WRU disciplinary committee has provided disciplinary panels with the discretion to further aggravate sanctions pertaining to match official abuse and to impose even greater and/or additional sanctions to reinforce and strengthen the message that abusive behaviour towards match officials will not be tolerated. We have encouraged clubs to adopt a zero-tolerance approach to these matters.”
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