Horowhenua-Kāpiti Rugby Union has postponed matches over a serious incident last weekend
Referees and match officials face increasing abuse
High-profile referee Wayne Barnes hung up the whistle over continual abuse
“Wayne Barnes, I’m coming to kill you.” “Wayne Barnes is a f***ing cheat.” “Wayne Barnes is a dog s*** ref.”
You don’t have to scroll far on X to find these messages from October 29, 2023.
What did Barnes do to deserve this? He created history byissuing the first-ever red card in a Rugby World Cup final – sending off All Blacks captain Sam Cane – as South Africa edged New Zealand 12–11 in Paris.
The decision, under current laws, was correct. Yet for simply doing his job Barnes received a torrent of abuse, despite having 17 years of professional rugby referee experience, taking charge of 111 tests.
And it was not just him: threats of physical and sexual violence were also directed at his wife and children – and that was the final straw, forcing him to hang up the whistle.
Had X existed in 2007, I’d hate to imagine what it would have been like after France knocked the All Blacks out of that World Cup.
This is just one example of many where match officials across all sports – at all levels – have become punching bags for players, coaches and fans.
But this isn’t just about online bile, it’s having real-world consequences.
Referees are quitting, fewer are signing up and in some parts of the country, competitions are now under threat because there aren’t enough officials left who are willing to cop the abuse.
The Horowhenua-Kāpiti Rugby Union has become the unlikely voice of authority. In a bold, unprecedented move, it has postponed all rugby fixtures this weekend after an incident where a referee had to be escorted to his car over safety fears during a first XV game between Kāpiti College and Mana College.
Union chief executive Corey Kennett deserves credit for standing firm. But why has it taken a small provincial union to take the lead? Where is New Zealand Rugby (NZR) in this conversation?
Horowhenua-Kāpiti Rugby Union chief executive Corey Kennett has been praised for his decision. Photo / NZ Herald
As custodians of our game, New Zealand Rugby should be the one making the tough call – forcing all unions to make a similar stand in solidarity – not leaving little old Horowhenua-Kāpiti to lead from the front.
In a country where rugby is both our most played and most watched sport, the tone from the top is vital.
What happens at the elite level shapes behaviour across every club, school and Saturday morning sideline. If respect for officials isn’t modelled at the top, it won’t exist at the grassroots either – where most referees are volunteers, not professionals.
So how do we fix this? The standards must be set in professional sport by putting the shoe on the other foot.
If a player is suspended for a dangerous tackle, they can attend “tackle school” to learn proper technique. Why not introduce officiating school for those caught abusing referees?
Let them experience what it’s like to be in the middle. Run the drills. Make the calls. Feel the pressure. See how many infringements they miss. Hey, they might actually like it and want to become a referee.
These rules should be applied at all levels – because this problem exists everywhere.
If it keeps happening, simply hit them in the pocket.
Another idea is post-match referee interviews. Giving officials the opportunity to explain their decisions could add much-needed transparency and defuse criticism.
An example of this occurred in 2015 when Gerrard Sutton appeared on The Footy Show, less than a week after being caught up in one of the most talked-about incidents in the modern rugby league era.
Bulldogs captain James Graham blew up at referee Sutton after a late penalty resulted in his side losing to the Rabbitohs in their annual Good Friday clash.
James Graham (middle) of the Bulldogs confronts referee Gerard Sutton. Photo / Getty Images
Sutton needed protection as he left the field with fans throwing bottles at him.
Graham later admitted he didn’t even know about the rule that led to the penalty, and it turned out most of the public didn’t either, but the one man who did was the man with the whistle in Sutton.
Sports like rugby and league have continual rule changes and the average punter struggles to keep up at the best of times, so having that level of insight would provide some clarity.
Of course, there will always be emotion in sport. And yes, sometimes a decision feels unjust. But that doesn’t justify threats, intimidation or personal attacks.
Everyone involved shares the responsibility of protecting the game’s integrity.
Referees aren’t above criticism. But they are human. And if we don’t act now to protect them, we won’t just lose referees – we’ll lose the spirit of the game itself.
