It is not surprising that the referees are refusing to officiate at schools’ rugby matches insisting that no crowds be allowed, given what has happened.
However, this is like cutting your nose to spite your face. No matches, no referees needed. So a compromise will be what is needed.
To go back to the beginning of the fiasco, a referee was manhandled at a Navy match. Nothing happens. A referee was almost assaulted at the SPC- Science match, the referee gets suspended, no reason is known. Schoolboy ruggerites are seen in video, blatantly kicking opponents and engaged unsportsmanlike behaviour in the RC-ICmatch, the referee gets suspended but action against the players involved is not known. The fiasco at the end of the Dharmarajh-SJC match, etc. No wonder then the referees feel peeved that they are running the risks and getting penalized as well.
No doubt there may have been mistakes made by them but even at international matches such things happens and that does not mean that the referee gets suspended. They get TMO assistance. Since I cannot see TMO assistance at school rugger matches (may not get that even for club rugby), cannot the assistant referees play a bigger role in the scheme of things and cannot the referee be more liberal in seeking the assistance of the assistants?
But what of solving the present impasse? I hope the schools authorities will agree to limit the tickets sold (not a complete ban on spectators) and with manageable crowd proportions assure the referees that security will be really tight by having sufficient police and private security (including men in civvies). Referees to agree to the manageable crowd sizes and additional security and do their job without fear or favour and with more efficiency.
Perhaps the above is too simplistic but the idea is to seek the cooperation of both sides and reach a compromise lest schools’ rugby is lost to the many who enjoy the game including the schoolboys.
The alternative might be for next year’s loss of an official tournament but for friendlies among the long standing traditional rugby playing schools sans the ones that cannot control their supporters and players. Sad but likely.
