Referees need to get it right this summer

SOUTH Africa may be quadruple world champions, but their influence does not extend to all corners of the game in the way New Zealand‘s did when they were kings of the hill.

When it comes to officiating, South Africa appears to have plummeted down the world rankings, with no SARU referee taking charge of any of the 18 fixtures being played in the new Nations Championship from July 4 to July 18. There are 16 referees from eight nations allocated to the matches, with Australia‘s Nic Berry and New Zealand’s Ben O’Keeffe each given two matches, and England having the largest contingent of four, with Luke Pearce, Karl Dickson, Christophe Ridley, and Matthew Carley all on the match roster.

The only South Africans on duty are Morne Ferreira, 32, who makes two appearances as an assistant referee, and Marius van der Westhuizen, who has two matches as a TMO and a third as an FPRO (Foul Play Review Officer).

Here’s hoping that the match officials work together as teams effectively, with assistant referees in particular becoming much sharper and more professional in alerting referees to infringements.

The acceptance of forward passes is becoming a joke in the southern hemisphere, especially short passes slipped forward to those in close support. Offside is another constant bugbear, as are hookers throwing inside the touchline – and straight down their own line, rather than down the middle.

Referees should apply the laws, and steer clear of bogus ‘dispensations’.