Sideline abuse blamed as NZ numbers plummet
They are central figures in our national game but attracting and retaining rugby referees could soon become a major problem.
Numbers of New Zealand referees are on a worrying decline. Over the past four years (2012-2016) NZ Rugby has seen 187 chuck in their whistle – a drop of 9 per cent (2045 to 1858).
In the same time-frame, the number of coaches has risen 9 per cent while player numbers are up 4 per cent. Various factors are at play. Young people picking up the whistle are in a hurry to reach the top echelon, expecting to control Super Rugby games inside two years when it can take up to 10 years.
A lack of numbers also sees some referees fast-tracked through the club system before they are ready, with many turned off by particularly bad experiences.
NZ Rugby is attempting to tackle sideline behaviour through schemes such as Rugby Smart and Applaud, which aim to diminish anti-social The guy yelling abuse, all he sees is a referee’s jersey. incidents at schools and clubs but the problem is still a major roadblock.
‘‘The disappointing thing is you get young guys who are trying hard,’’ New Zealand’s premier referee Glen Jackson said. ‘‘Some of them might not have played a lot of rugby but they’re trying something different. The guy yelling abuse, all he sees is a referee’s jersey.
‘‘You’re never going to get away from people on the sideline. If a 10 kicks the ball out on the full they cop it as well. These guys are there watching the game and say what they want to say but when it gets personal there’s a real issue around that.’’
Only a small portion of NZ Rugby referees get paid, with seven on fulltime contracts. The rest do it for enjoyment or to give back. Those aspects are quickly eroded when abuse is directed their way.
Former top NZ referee Chris Pollock says officials are the only objective people at rugby matches and often comments stem from a lack of knowledge about the rules.
‘‘When you are following a sport or a team and there’s passion or emotion involved, it’s really easy for people to get carried away,’’ Pollock said.
The issue of sideline abuse is not isolated to New Zealand.
Former South African referee Craig Joubert has seen the worst of it in his homeland.
‘‘It’s a major issue we face at the moment,’’ Joubert said. ‘‘Blokes go out and give up their time willingly and freely on Saturdays for club and schools rugby and the extent to which there’s vitriolic abuse from the sidelines at that level means that these volunteers are choosing to walk away and do something else with their weekends. It’s the responsibility of all of us who love the game whether we’re playing or on the sidelines to have respect. Otherwise we are in danger of having people not wanting to get involved in officiating due to the abuse.’’