The fallout from the Springboks’ back-to-back red cards on their European tour has intensified, with South African legend Victor Matfield and All Blacks great Sir John Kirwan tearing into World Rugby.
They’ve described it as an inconsistent, out-of-control refereeing environment that is “killing the game”.
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Speaking on the Rugby Rivals podcast, Matfield said the sport’s lawmakers and TMOs have taken the spectacle away from fans and turned the November internationals into a stop-start mess dominated by TV replays and ever-shifting interpretations.
“World Rugby is buggering up our game. I was so frustrated in that game against Italy,” Matfield said.
“In those first 40 minutes, whenever there was a stoppage they’d go to the TMO, they change things, every move the local producer goes back and tries to show a high hit. It’s crazy where rugby is going at the moment.”
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The former Bok captain did not hold back, calling for a drastic rethink of rugby’s disciplinary framework after what he described as wildly inconsistent decisions.
“I think we should throw away all cards and just go back to penalties and even with the tap-down – give a penalty try and go back playing 15 against 15. All these cards, all these changes and going back and forth, we’re killing the game at this stage.
“That red card against South Africa – I could probably show you five or six incidents in the other games that were no red cards. Everything is just so inconsistent at the moment.”
Matfield believes the coaching fraternity must take a public stand.
“I think it’s time for the coaches to stand up and say ‘listen we need to look at this’. We’ve got so many fans at all of these games and the people want to see a spectacle, but at the moment the ref is just taking it over.”
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Kirwan echoed those frustrations but aimed his criticism directly at the governing body, accusing World Rugby of failing to show leadership as controversy piles up week after week.
“Where’s the leadership in World Rugby addressing these problems? Because it’s just continuing to frustrate me. Right now what’s happening is I don’t think the referee leadership is taking responsibility for what’s happening.”
The post Big Vic: World Rugby buggering up our game appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
