Rugby: Super 12 video refs this year still a possibility

By CHRIS RATTUE

Video referees could still be used in this year's Super 12 series despite New Zealand's concern that there are not sufficiently clear rules governing their use.

New Zealand's stance had appeared to put the block on the issue, but it is now on the move again with New Zealand Rugby Football Union chief executive David Rutherford saying it will become clear in the next few days whether "technical aspects" can be sorted out in time.

His comments came after a verbal attack by Australian Rugby Union chief executive John O'Neill, who claimed: "There are a lot of things happening in New Zealand at the moment which are a bit of a puzzle."

Both the South African and Australian unions are pushing hard for the immediate trialing of the video referee, and Sarfu chief executive Rian Oberholzer, O'Neill and Rutherford have discussed the issue.

The International Rugby Board has allowed an experimental period of video use for in-goal incidents, although Rutherford said there were strong suggestions that they would expand the experiment after the next IRB meeting in March.

The IRB would consider experimenting with "full-field" video use, which would mean the complete last play leading to a try could be viewed, he said.

Rutherford emphasised that the current video trial was very limited, allowing a review only of incidents in-goal. That meant a knock-on centimetres from the goal line before a try was scored could not even be taken into account by the video referee.

"I understand that in the whole of the trial period in South Africa's domestic rugby last year, there were only two try decisions overturned," he said.

"The public must realise that this is a very limited trial and will not have a major impact, although even if very few decisions are made they can be very important. New Zealand is keen to trial it if we can get the same protocols in each country.

"We have to brief the coaches, players and broadcasters and there is not much time until the kickoff on February 25.

"But the door is not shut and I think there is still a reasonable chance that it will come in."

O'Neill had accused the NZRFU of not telling Australia about its concerns, saying he learned about it through the media. "Perhaps the aftermath of last year's World Cup is still worrying them, but the caravan is moving on," he said.

"We were left in a very embarrassing position with the public and the players and it doesn't present rugby in the best light.

"It's not over. We're going to revisit it."

But Rutherford said: "I tried to get in contact with [O'Neill] but I couldn't. I did communicate with someone else in the Australian union.

"I was a bit surprised about his comments ... but communication isn't always perfect.

"There is certainly nothing wrong within New Zealand rugby and all I'll say is we're looking forward to the next Bledisloe Cup."