Refs need technological help

It is time for rugby officials to come out of a fog and give support to the struggling officials, thereby making the game more commercial and enjoyable for fans.

Michael Warren, The Roar

Has Super Rugby suddenly got dirty or is it that there is a new ploy in town called intimidation by accusation, brawling and foul mouthing?

It is more than clear that the latest intimidatory brawls taking place on the field and the Commissioner’s non-finding accusations of eye gouging appears to be the latest tactic coming out of South Africa against Australian and New Zealand teams, not saying however that there has never been a cuzzie slap or two between them either.

However, to the fan looking from the outside in, there is no doubt that there is some loophole that has been found to exploit and all the Super teams appear to be adopting these ugly unwanted traits.

My young grandson proudly showed me his latest iPhone the other day and I was amazed at the number of apps he had on it enabling him to do whatever he wanted to do from chatting, phoning, banking, in fact, so much of everything, it made my eyes water and he further told me how old I had become. (It was obvious the time had come for me to throw away my trusty old phone brick.)

With the huge advance in technology, I ask why one poor sod in the middle of a rugby pitch has not got every available piece of modern technology to help him implement unworkable rules and why it is that the flag-waving blokes on the side line together with the bloke they call the TMO, can’t help him do so much more.

Will Carling described the Rugby Football Union general committee as “57 old farts” which led to his sacking as captain. Was he right and it is they who hold determinately onto the antiquated rulings that hamstring the referee?

Super Rugby is a business and it would be very unlikely that any commercial business would operate without implementing advanced technology to obtain a greater outcome result for its shareholders. So what is holding back the rugby business from adopting the same attitude?

It is time for rugby officials to come out of a fog and give support to the struggling officials, thereby making the game more commercial and enjoyable for fans. After all the fans are the shareholders and any business will tell you, if you do not move with the times the shareholder withdraws their support of your business very soon goes broke. If there be any doubt, ask the Otago Rugby Football Union.

With a bit of technical upgrading we can not only help the bloke in the middle but can quickly stamp out the ugly side of thug rugby. Currently, there is only tinkering at the moment with modern technology but with a much fuller approach and adoption of it now we can keep that little bit ahead of the game.

And as much as I do not wish to throw away my phone brick, the new All Black of 2021 at my side with his modern bit of technology is convincing me that he is absolutely right.