Rugby World Cup referees need all the help they can get to end the controversy over high tackles not a public putdown
There have been some wonderful stories in the first week of the World Cup and some fantastic rugby played but it is unfortunate that the leading topic is the high tackle and refereeing controversies that are dominating the agenda in Japan.
World Rugby is not solely to blame, even if I disagree entirely with the decision to go public with a statement slamming the referees. The more I think about it the less I can see why that statement was released. I do not understand what the intention was, other than perhaps to appease the public. The team of officials was selected by World Rugby so I don’t see why the governing body has not backed its team. If it needs to, do the autopsy after the tournament but do everything you can to alleviate the stress on them at this stage.
Written by Ugo Monye
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/sep/27/rugby-world-cup-referees-are-not-robots-ugo-monye under the title “I’ve never known a sport to be on a knife edge like rugby union is in Japan | Ugo Monye”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
