Jason Ryan, the assistant coach for the All Blacks, has expressed his strong disapproval of the vitriol directed at officials, labeling it as “disrespectful and embarrassing.” This comes in response to a World Rugby report that highlighted the extensive online abuse during the previous year’s World Cup.
The report, conducted post-tournament, examined 899 social media accounts belonging to referees, players, coaches, teams, and organizations. It revealed that English referee Wayne Barnes, who has since retired, bore a third of the abuse directed at individuals. The range of abuse towards match officials included accusations of match-fixing, corruption, violent threats, and threats to their families.
The report identified over 2,000 posts from 1,600 separate accounts that sent abuse or threats during the tournament. Notably, 21 verified accounts from New Zealand were among those, with the highest number originating in France (95) and South Africa (71).
In an interview with Newstalk ZB’s Jason Pine, Ryan emphasized the need for action in addressing the issue. He expressed concern about the impact on experienced referees like Wayne Barnes, stating that it’s a sad state of affairs when such individuals consider leaving the game.
Ryan called for intervention at the highest level, whether through legal measures, criminal offenses, or World Rugby, to put an end to the unacceptable behavior. The report highlighted spikes in abuse, particularly after France’s elimination in the quarter-finals and during the final between the All Blacks and the Springboks.
According to Ryan, the most surprising finding of the report was the level of abuse directed at match officials, which he described as constant and awful. He questioned whether such messages truly come from genuine rugby enthusiasts, as those involved in the sport are generally good people.
The report also noted a correlation between comments from players and coaches in post-game press conferences triggering public abuse towards officials. Ryan suggested a face-to-face approach for addressing disagreements, emphasizing the importance of communication between teams and referees.
While acknowledging the pressures of the World Cup, Ryan questioned the decision to restrict communication with referees during the tournament, suggesting that a more approachable approach could have been taken. He advocated for post-tournament conversations to address issues and make officials more accessible.
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