Online abuse adds new menace to tough game
Referees and players take strain as fans abandn fair play on the social media field
● As a Springbok of enduring quality across 79 Tests, there wasn’t much that rocked Bismarck du Plessis’ boat.
What gets his goat, however, is how the sport is now consumed, perceived and altered by what is said on social media.
It has added to the already vast pressure elite players operate under, and Du Plessis makes the point that he can do without the toxicity that has permeated the game. “That is the biggest killer of humanity at the moment,” said Du Plessis.
Match officials in particular have had it rough. The game’s most experienced Test referee, Wayne Barnes, has stepped away from the sport, disillusioned after the Rugby World Cup final, while one of his assistants that day, Ben Foley, has also called time.
Both reported online abuse including death threats.
Players too are placed in the firing line, with Bok scrumhalf Cobus Reinach coming under threat in the days after the Springboks knocked France out of the RWC.
In the build-up to the final, the Tom Curry/Bongi Mbonambi affair was very much all the online rage.
Weeding out abusers
Eugene Henning, CEO of MyPlayers — the organisation that acts in the collective interest of players — has welcomed World Rugby’s introduction of artificial intelligence to weed out online abusers.
“That is obviously a major positive. You can’t allow referees to have to deal with that amount of abuse. Players aren’t abused to the same level, but I think we can start adopting some of those principles in protecting players as well. Somewhere we have to restore faith in the system,” insisted Henning.
Players can, of course, try to mitigate risk but in a pervasive social media world that is easier said than done.
“We can’t be prescriptive because ultimately it will differ from player to player,” said MyPLayers national player development manager Hilana Claassens, who has seven player development managers spread across the provinces.
“We tell players how they can protect themselves by changing (social media) settings so that not everyone can comment on the things you post. If a player wants to do that, it’s up to them. It is difficult to avoid the headlines and not read anything. Our players are absolute rugby heroes but I think what people tend to forget is that they are only human. No one is bulletproof,” she said.
Though much of their emphasis is on prevention, players can also suffer sudden bursts of mental anguish. “I think the mental load has been underestimated,” said Claassens. “I always say it is mind over muscle. Players have 24/7 access to counselling. It is confidential and we pay for the sessions.”
Like a war zone
The pressures on the modern-day player are distinctly different from those of previous generations. Now, players don’t just perform on the weekend. “It’s almost like a war zone,” noted Claassens.
“In the week, in the build-up, they compete against each other for a place in the team on the weekend. You have to arrive giving 100% every day. That of course isn’t humanly possible. The mental and emotional load is significant.”
A bulging fixture list means downtime is at a premium.
The hope had been expressed that a new global calendar might alleviate some of those pressures but the better co-ordinated and streamlined roster is no quick fix.
“What will be better is all the players will get a break and rest at the same time,” said Henning. “At the moment we have to give players individual breaks. We cannot give the players rest at the same time unless we can institute a global calendar.”
Henning said players needed eight to 10 weeks off on an annual basis.
Moreover, they should be limited to 32 matches a year, with 20 minutes of action counting as a match. “In fact, 32 is perhaps a little high, World Rugby suggests 30,” said Henning in relation to a document the game’s governing body commissioned on the subject.
“We have players in France and England who will play 27, 28 games a year before playing nine, 10 Tests so they end up with 37, 38 games a year.”
Henning used the example of Jasper Wiese, who played in 30 matches for Leicester Tigers in the previous season. “When a player plays in two jurisdictions it is more difficult to manage.
There are limits to game numbers in the Premiership but that pertains to players eligible for England,” he said.
Active rest for players
Increasingly, downtime is better defined. “Our players have three weeks of beer and braai, which means you are completely off. Do as you please. Then two weeks active rest means you can do things with the player except the player taking contact, and then three weeks normal practice,” Henning explained.
Failure to adhere to those guidelines could affect players’ longevity in the sport. “Rugby is more physical. You get the on-field injuries and some of them are long term,” reminded Henning.
“Those long-term ones should be purged from the sport. There I think World Rugby is doing very good work around head injuries. I know the way cards are issued frustrates people but if you look at the standards that were upheld at the World Cup, it was phenomenal.
“Short-term injuries like knees and fractures will always be there. The other question is, how long can a player last? Is it 10, 12 years? The research tells us that if you don’t play more than 32 games a year, you can have a long career.”
Our players are absolute rugby heroes but I think what people tend to forget is that they are only human. No one is bulletproof
Hilana Claassens
MyPLayers national player development manager