Chiefs launch war on cheats
Any players guilty of diving or feigning injury during the rugby World Cup will be automatically issued with yellow cards in a bid to end the ‘‘football culture’’ creeping into the game.
Players who harangue referees to make decisions also face being sanctioned heavily in an attempt to protect the game’s values of respect for officials, World Rugby announced yesterday (Wednesday).
Television evidence will be used to help referees to punish players with ten minutes in the sin-bin, or a citing commissioner could issue the equivalent of a post-match yellow card if he spots an incident during his review of the game.
‘‘There is a culture creeping in, I call it the football culture, of simulation, people appealing to the referee, players – and it has happened a couple of times – diving.
‘‘That is going to be sanctioned very heavily in this tournament,’’ John Jeffrey, the World Rugby committee chairman, said.
‘‘We are the showcase of our rugby event and it’s very, very important that we keep our values there. Referees have been asked to sanction very heavily on that. They will be penalised.
‘‘Diving would be ungentlemanly conduct and a straight yellow card.’’
Players who argue with or hassle officials face conceding a penalty and being marched back ten metres, which is not a new measure in rugby by any means, but Jeffrey has reminded referees that it is available to them.
‘‘When I gave backchat I was marched back ten metres,’’ Jeffrey, the former Scotland and Lions flanker, said.
‘‘I can’t remember the last time it was used. It should start off with a warning and [the referee would] say, ‘Look, behave yourself.’ After that it would be a penalty and 10 metres.’’
Diving is not commonplace in rugby, but there have been a few high-profile examples, not least Bryan Habana collapsing to the floor after he brushed shoulders with Owen Farrell for Toulon against Saracens in the Heineken Cup final last year.
Habana, the South Africa wing, was warned about his conduct by Alain Rolland, the referee, and issued an apology. ‘‘It was in no way intended with malice or to bring the game into disrepute,’’ Habana said. ‘‘Sportsmanship and integrity are key factors to what makes rugby so special and I let myself, the fans, our opponents and the game down.’’
Jeffrey said that World Cup referees have been ordered to clamp down on foul play. They have been instructed to be particularly strict on no-arm tackles, including the low American football-style blocks that have crept into the game, and players who roll opponents out of a ruck by their neck.
Referees will be supported by HawkEye technology, which is being used in a World Cup for the first time to try to speed up the decision-making process and make it easier for the television officials to spot incidents.
‘‘There really is nowhere to hide,’’ Susan Ahern, World Rugby’s head of legal affairs, said.
Players who receive three yellow cards or post-match warning face being banned.