Neutral Referees

[profitius]

This has been one of the problems with the league all season and its causing some debate. Firstly let me start by saying it has little effect on the results compared to how much people complain about it but nevertheless the optics of it looks bad.


The Pro14's main problem is that the majority of refs are Welsh or Irish. So the Pro14 have little choice than to have some refs reffing their own country's teams.


Super rugby have this problem too from what I gather. So wouldn't it be beneficial if the pro14 and super rugby did ref swaps. 3 or 4 Super rugby refs go to the pro14 for a season and vice versa. They could be based in London.


If not that then maybe the Pro14 should look at hiring out some outsider refs. It would cost money but even 2 neutral refs would result in a massive increase in the percentage of games that had neutral refs. It would cost money but everyone would be much happier.


Even getting in more South African refs would help a lot. There are only 2 of them at the moment and surely it wouldn't cost much to base one or two more of them in London for a season.

 

[Thingimubob]

Definitely a good idea, and considering the Premier Sports deal, hopefully one they'll have the money to cover!

There's still part of me fuming at a Blues vs Leinster game last season that ended up with not only an Irish ref, but one directly employed by Leinster... who had a couple of dubious decisions go their way in a tight win.

While I'm not saying the ref went out there to help Leinster win or anything, but like you said, it just looks very bad to have a the ref linked to one of the teams playing if any sort of controversial decisions do happen.

The standard of refereeing has been a joke in the Pro 14 for a while now anyway, so it's something that really needs to be looked at.

 

[Amiga500]

This has been one of the problems with the league all season and its causing some debate. Firstly let me start by saying it has little effect on the results compared to how much people complain about it but nevertheless the optics of it looks bad.

The Pro14's main problem is that the majority of refs are Welsh or Irish. So the Pro14 have little choice than to have some refs reffing their own country's teams.

But all of it is just stupid scheduling.

There are (to my knowledge):
1 Italian referee (Mitrea),
1 South African referee (Immelman)
2 Scottish referees (Linton/Adamson),
3 Welsh (Owens, Whitehouse & Davies) and
4 Irish (Lacey, Clancy, Brace and Williamson). [On behalf of all Irish present, I apologise profusely for inflicting Lacey and/or Clancy upon any game you have even a passing interest in.]

With no more than 7 matches any game week, among 11 referees, there should never be a clash. Worse case scenario would be a single game week having 4 Irish provinces versus 4 Welsh regions, which would require all of the Italian, SA and Scottish refereeing contingents. But, it can be done.

 

[profitius]

But all of it is just stupid scheduling.

There are (to my knowledge):
1 Italian referee (Mitrea),
1 South African referee (Immelman)
2 Scottish referees (Linton/Adamson),
3 Welsh (Owens, Whitehouse & Davies) and
4 Irish (Lacey, Clancy, Brace and Williamson). [On behalf of all Irish present, I apologise profusely for inflicting Lacey and/or Clancy upon any game you have even a passing interest in.]

With no more than 7 matches any game week, among 11 referees, there should never be a clash. Worse case scenario would be a single game week having 4 Irish provinces versus 4 Welsh regions, which would require all of the Italian, SA and Scottish refereeing contingents. But, it can be done.

Maybe the refs can't make it every week? I'm not sure how its done.


You'd think they could have an agreement with the AP about one or two ref swaps. For instance, instead of Nigel Owens reffing the Scarlets in Llanelli, he could swap with an English ref.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Maybe the refs can't make it every week? I'm not sure how its done.


You'd think they could have an agreement with the AP about one or two ref swaps. For instance, instead of Nigel Owens reffing the Scarlets in Llanelli, he could swap with an English ref.

But then we'd get really bad at the breakdown! /s

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

I wouldn't mind it if the Pro14 didn't shout from the rooftops about their supposed "neutral" ref policy (i.e. no ref will officiate their home region).

I'm happy to accept refs are neutral and I'm totally unconvinced that the English and French leagues are filled with these amazing referees if only we got the chance to see them. Barnes and Garcia are good but after that I don't see the superiority.

I wouldn't apologise for the likes of Clancy and Lacey. Refereeing is bloody hard and an unattractive career. Moderate pay, constant travelling, abuse offline, constant whinging in your ear on the field, commentators denouncing you and a bundle of folk questioning your very honesty and integrity. Screw that for a living.

I'm grateful to the IRFU for producing so many refs as the Scottish and Italian unions have failed on that count. I can't complain overly if Edinburgh play an Irish club and it's an Irish ref because the SRU hasn't produced the alternatives.