IRB to take hard line on criticism of referees

MELBOURNE – The International Rugby Board (IRB) will take a hard line on players and coaches criticising officials during the World Cup later this year, the governing body’s referees chief said yesterday.

IRB referees manager Paddy O’Brien said fines and suspensions would be imposed if individuals openly criticised officials without going through the proper channels. “Coaches mouthing off and blaming referees doesn’t do the game, referees or coaches any good,” O’Brien told reporters in Sydney.The Irishman confirmed written complaints backed by video evidence would be given due consideration by the IRB in France, but public post-match comments would be punished.”The really good coaches, and the teams that seem to be at the top of the world at the moment, are the ones that are very proactive in submitting reports to me, accompanied by clips where they think they’ve been hard done by.O’Brien cited the example of Jamie Noon’s disallowed try in England’s 41-20 defeat by New Zealand at Twickenham in November as an example of the referees’ body responding to poor decisions.The tournament starts in France on September 9.Nampa-Reuters”Coaches mouthing off and blaming referees doesn’t do the game, referees or coaches any good,” O’Brien told reporters in Sydney.The Irishman confirmed written complaints backed by video evidence would be given due consideration by the IRB in France, but public post-match comments would be punished.”The really good coaches, and the teams that seem to be at the top of the world at the moment, are the ones that are very proactive in submitting reports to me, accompanied by clips where they think they’ve been hard done by.O’Brien cited the example of Jamie Noon’s disallowed try in England’s 41-20 defeat by New Zealand at Twickenham in November as an example of the referees’ body responding to poor decisions.The tournament starts in France on September 9.Nampa-Reuters