Springboks: Rassie hopeful refereeing guru Nigel Owens will be on board for World Cup defence

08.03.2023 - 17:41 news24.com

The Springboks, and Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus, remain hopeful that former international referee Nigel Owens will be in their corner as they seek to defend their World Cup title in France later this year.

Addressing media in Stellenbosch on Wednesday, Erasmus confirmed reports that he has been in contact with Owens over the possibility of working as a specialist refereeing consultant for the Boks.

It is an area that Erasmus has always placed huge emphasis on, and there was detailed analysis of the officials in charge of their 2019 World Cup fixtures.

With the focus on head injuries and player safety at an all-time high, there is little room for defensive errors in the game presently, with tacklers regularly yellow or red-carded if they get their positioning even slightly wrong.

cape town Rugby cup on Rassie Erasmus France South Africa

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