Sideline Sheriffs wearing bright pink vests and handing out lollipops are helping to crack down on bad behaviour by supporters at junior rugby games.
The Central Bay of Plenty Junior Rugby Association teams’ committee launched the initiative about four weeks ago, association referee coordinator Rees Ureata said, aiming to encourage positive and supportive behaviour by parents, caregivers, other whānau and spectators on the sidelines at games.
Seventy-five teams in the area’s junior competition have been given bright pink vests bearing the words “Sideline Sheriff - Support our volunteers” and provided with lollipops to help tone down inappropriate sideline behaviour.
The competition involves players up to 13 years old from the central Rotorua area as well as Reporoa, Rotoiti, Murupara, Galatea, Te Teko and Whakatāne.
According to the association’s Facebook page, whānau members from each team choose who wears the vest at each game.
Their role is to monitor sideline behaviour,, encouraging whānau to support match officials and help create a more “positive” environment at games.
They can approach anyone being “overly passionate” on the sidelines and remind them of the appropriate expected behaviour.
Uerata said they also offered lollipops to people whose passion was getting “out of control” to encourage them to calm down.
“People can’t talk if they’re busy sucking on a lollipop, and if you can’t talk, you can’t abuse anyone.”
He said the initiative was mooted this season after “quite a few” concerning behavioural issues on the sidelines over a period of time. The teams’ committee decided enough was enough.
He said issues included “over-excited” parents/caregivers or other spectators haranguing or verbally abusing referees, coaches and team managers during and after games.
Ureata said some spectators argued or fought in view of young players.
“Obviously there are lots of passionate supporters at games. But raw emotions do sometimes spill over and result in verbal abuse, and verbal abuse can easily lead to physical abuse. That’s not okay. It sends the entirely wrong message to our tamariki [children].
“Bad role-modelling from adults on the sideline has unfortunately been repeated on the field by some of our junior players. That’s a no-no,” he said.
“This is not a Bay of Plenty Rugby Union problem or coaches and referees’ problem. It’s a community-based problem and we trying to encourage good role-modelling from everyone at our games.”
Ureata said the sheriffs were about trying to provide a safe environment for players, coaches, managers, referees and whānau and encourage a little more respect for the decisions of volunteer match officials and coaches.
Ureata said they had already been paying dividends, with fewer concerning sideline incidents at games documented in match reports.
Sideline Sheriffs had also helped “take the heat off” officials so they could better focus on the players’ enjoyment of the game, win or lose, he said.
Uerata said there had been no pushback from the clubs and the Sideline Sheriffs wore their vests with “immense pride”.
He said the vests were funded by a One Foundation charitable trust grant.
Central Bay of Plenty Junior Rugby Association secretary Nita Asaeli, who designed the vests, said the association was “taking the lead” to send a clear message about breaking poor role-modelling habits at games.
“It encourages our whānau to be more aware of how their behaviour impacts our tamariki, who are listening and watching what is happening at games. They say it takes a village to raise a child and our players are part of that village,” said Asaeli, whose two children play junior rugby.
Pat Rae, the Bay of Plenty Rugby Union’s Community Rugby general manager, said it was a “fantastic” initiative.
“How good is it that a local community sporting group, without input or backing from the Bay of Plenty Rugby Union, has implemented such an important measure to help stamp out bad behaviour on the sidelines.”
Rae said on behalf of Bay of Plenty Rugby Community Rugby he “applauded” the proactive initiative, particularly as abusive behaviour directed at match officials from the sidelines was a “major contributor” to referees’ negative experiences.
“I’ve been with the Bay of Plenty Rugby Union for eight years. And this year we’ve had the largest number of unappointed games because of the struggle to get referees to want to step onto the field due to the abuse they get.”
Rae said if a referee could not be found, coaches had to do the job.
Rugby is not the only Bay code trying to address poor sideline behaviour, with Tauranga Netball Centre warning this month it was considering reverting to Covid-19 restrictions that would ban spectators from the sidelines after an increase in complaints.
Sport Bay of Plenty was involved in the development of a positive sideline environment for several codes throughout the region.
“To achieve this we must educate our fans, parents, participants and coaches on what is and isn’t acceptable behaviour while playing or observing sport.”
The organisation was also involved in Good Sports, a Sport New Zealand culture change initiative aimed at creating positive sporting experiences for children by educating and supporting key adult influencers, particularly parents.
- Additional reporting Kiri Gillespie