Rugby at a crossroads with more referee input required

After each round of rugby, there are numerous discussions in public forums, on and offline, regarding refereeing decisions that can swing the game one way or the other.

This is true of all sports if you look at how VAR has affected the Premier League, or some of the stewards enquiries in Formula One.

We want to continue to have heated debates and discussions. The match itself is only one aspect of the sport, the events within the game light up conversations for the rest of the week.

It's part and parcel of any game.

However, with the danger surrounding rugby incidents and decisions, I feel it’s time that the stakeholders of the game become more aligned in their perception of the big decisions.

When I say stakeholders, I don't mean those on the boards deciding the discourse of the laws.

I mean the public, those employed in the game and the referees. Everyone has a different agenda which changes the narrative surrounding foul play, big decisions and the perception of the referee’s language.

The day-to-day stakeholders include supporters, players, ex-players, coaches and the referees among others. These are the most important people for me when it comes to the lack of agreement in public discourse.

The moments in the game that I’m particularly focused on are those that carry a high degree of danger. The Malakai Fekitoa high tackle against Ulster resulting in a yellow card, which may be a red on a different day with another referee.