Respect the kicker with total silence

AS an ‘old school’ believer in the need to treasure the game’s ethos and values, I was saddened at the failure of the RFU to react to the crowd noise evident during place kicks at the Barbarians v All Blacks game.

With a number of new and non-regular supporters in attendance, it would have been an ideal time to reiterate our tradition of silence during kicks and assist the learning process of those unfamiliar with the game’s etiquette.

Even the use of the words “Please respect the kicker” appeared on screens for only about 50 per cent of the kicks and those words don’t actually convey the need for silence.

If the RFU can’t get it right at the ‘Home of English Rugby’ what chance do grassroots clubs have of retaining the Corinthian values of the sport? CHRIS MUNTON Epsom