Rugby: Referees of the world unite

Calls to restrict the refereeing of the Tri-Nations rugby tournament to New Zealand, Australian and South African officials are short-sighted, and could result in a backlash, says New Zealand's International Rugby Board member Tim Gresson.

He warned New Zealand rugby fans against being too insular following criticism of English referee Ed Morrison's handling of the All Blacks' 34-18 win over South Africa in Pretoria on Sunday.

Gresson, chairman of the IRB's referees subcommittee, said: "It is imperative we fully participate in all respects in the global game.

"Going out on a limb and restricting the use of European referees would inevitably lead to the Six Nations tournament reciprocating and not using ours."