Wayne Barnes is among a group of leading referees who have established the first representative organisation for match officials with one of the fundamental aims to protect the well-being of its members amid growing concerns over the rise in abuse they have received.
Barnes last week revealed how he had considered giving up refereeing as a result of the online abuse he and his family was subjected to in the wake of his 100th Test – France’s narrow win against South Africa. Soon after that match the Springboks director of rugby, Rassie Erasmus, released a series of social-media comments criticising Barnes’s performance. There followed a torrent of online abuse with Barnes revealing his wife, Polly, was the target of threats of sexual violence.
Barnes also spoke of the need for more to be done to protect referees – citing incidents involving Australia’s Nic Berry and Ireland’s Andrew Brace – and, with the support of World Rugby, International Rugby Match Officials has been launched with “the dual objective of supporting officials on and off the field and furthering their voice within World Rugby’s structures”.
“Today’s launch represents an important development for the recognition and support of rugby match officials on the world stage,” said Barnes. “For the first time there will be a collective voice and support network for international referees and television match officials, championing matters of interest ranging from physical and mental wellbeing promotion to upholding the sport’s values and representing international match officials within World Rugby decision-making structures.”
World Rugby’s chief executive, Alan Gilpin, said: “Match officials are fundamental to the sport and their role is greater than the matches they officiate. They are ambassadors, champions of our values and increasingly contributing to the future shape of the sport through their game expertise.
“The establishment of IRMO importantly provides both a voice and a support mechanism for the world’s top match officials and will better formalise the interactions between them and World Rugby across a range of topics from law review, officiating performance and tournament provisions to commercial opportunities and mental wellbeing, all geared towards enabling them to be the best they can be on and off the field.”
Further to Barnes’s online abuse, there have been a series of high-profile incidents of late where the authority of referees has not been respected. Ronan O’Gara, the La Rochelle head coach, is serving a 10-week ban for “harming the best interests of rugby” – the fourth time he has been suspended in the space of a year. Just last week the Pau head coach, Sébastien Piqueronies, was also banned for 10 weeks after he was cited for allegedly physically abusing a referee in his side’s Challenge Cup fixture.
This year the Guardian revealed that the Rugby Football Union is this season attempting to clamp down on the abuse of match officials after a significant rise in the number of incidents and fears of a shortage of referees in the lower leagues and at grassroots level.
Meanwhile, Barnes will take charge of his 26th Six Nations match after he was announced as the referee for the blockbuster clash between Ireland and France. New Zealand’s Paul Williams will referee Steve Borthwick’s first match as England head coach against Scotland on 4 February.
