In this player’s opinion,
referees are a lot like proctologists. They are a
necessary part of the system but inevitably a pain
in the ….
Jokes aside, I am not going to
criticise (too much) what I realise is mostly a
thankless task. The problem is the overly
complicated laws and the range of interpretation
when they are applied.
It seems to me that the lawmakers
and the referees who interpret these laws have
forgotten that rugby, to survive and prosper, must
be a spectacle. Simply put, rugby is a business. It
sells a product, competes for sponsorship and
lucrative TV deals in an increasingly crowded
international market. There are even some who claim
the semi finals and final of Rugby World Cup 2007
were boring. I happen to disagree; I thought the
final was one of the most physically intense games
of rugby I’ve ever seen, but I can see their point.
And these matches were our showpieces – our greatest
marketing opportunities.
For a non rugby person, our sport
can be bewildering, and even ardent fans (and
players) are occasionally left scratching their
heads. However this is only half the problem. When
the game is stopped (and if we are honest this is
often) it denies the players the opportunity to
expose a fatiguing opposition - thereby reducing the
number of tries - and any tension that had been
building is broken.
Personally I think the ELV’s
(Super 14 version) are a move in the right
direction. The ball is in play for longer periods
and more rugby is played. For those of you
unfamiliar with the differences, or that there even
are differences, a ‘short arm’ penalty (free-kick)
is awarded for most offences – including most at the
breakdown. This means penalty kicks at goal and
direct kicks into touch are almost eliminated. Not
only does this allow the game to flow, it also
reduces the impact of the referee’s interpretations,
particularly at the breakdown.
It has been suggested that this
is a cunning plan by the Southern Hemisphere nations
to reduce the role of scrummaging in the modern
game. This is easily refuted and it can be argued
that scrumming has become even more of a focus in
Super 14 and the Tri Nations. It is a crucial
platform to attack from and teams awarded a
free-kick, if unable to take it quickly, will often
choose a scrum, thereby ‘occupying’ eight members of
the opposition and giving numbers 10 through to 15 a
chance to wave to girlfriends in the crowd or fix
each others hair.
I believe football should be the
role model for the administrators. Easy to
understand and fluid (with little referee
interpretation required), it is little wonder it is
the world game. With the current mish-mash that
passes for rugby laws, I reckon that even if God was
refereeing ‘the game they play in heaven’ there
would be some disgruntled angels at full time.
Previous columns:
05.12.08:
The Unknown Soldier - Life
as a journeyman professional in France's ProD2
