The English referee begins his last full Premiership season at Exeter this weekend, wishing there was more TMO assistance
The start of a new rugby union season is not just about players and coaches. Rarely have top-level referees been under more scrutiny, increasingly caught between a congested ruck and a hard place. Decisions in the modern game grow more hairline, the demands on its leading officials more intense. Without a capable whistle-blower to make sense of it all, the road to hell can be rapid.
How blessed the sport has been to attract individuals of the calibre of Wayne Barnes and Nigel Owens, experienced officials who can not only recite the lawbook but possess the all-important empathy to match. The better players visibly appreciate it, even when decisions go against them. Following New Zealand’s big win over Australia at Eden Park last Saturday, the first person to congratulate Barnes and ask after his family was David Pocock, the beaten Wallaby openside.
Written by Robert Kitson
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/aug/29/wayne-barnes-rugby-referee-retiring-tmo under the title “Whistleblower Wayne Barnes prepares to call time on refereeing career”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
