Why players should not be silenced on refereeing issues in rugby union

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If rugby union’s much-vaunted values were ever to be written down as commandments then “thou shall not speak ill of the referee” would be chief among them. It can border on sanctimonious at times but the referee must be treated with the utmost respect and there is no place for criticism, however much it feels justified. To many it is a cornerstone of the sport but, like much of the game, it is beginning to feel antiquated.

The issue has flared up in New Zealand recently because two senior All Blacks, Ardie Savea and Aaron Smith, have had the temerity to question refereeing decisions in post-match interviews. Neither said anything that warranted further investigation by the authorities but that has not stopped the union from acting, as New Zealand’s team manager, Chris Lendrum, revealed: “We have raised particular matters around post-match comments with teams.” Suffice it to say that the next time Savea or Smith is interviewed shortly after a match they are unlikely to be so forthcoming.

In the northern hemisphere it is an ongoing issue too. The standard of officiating in the United Rugby Championship is much maligned, so much so that the head of match officials, Tappe Henning, recently hosted a press conference, urging patience and acknowledging mistakes were being made with differing interpretations by referees in Europe and South Africa at least part of the problem.

In the Premiership, it is a more familiar sight to see players marched back for backchat these days and evidently the Rugby Football Union is eager to