10 months ago
Nigel Owens has described nan online maltreatment faced by modern rugby referees arsenic ‘disgraceful and wholly unacceptable’ aft Wayne Barnes confirmed his retirement.
Top English charismatic Barnes connected Thursday brought nan curtain down connected his singular career little than a week aft receiving decease threats pursuing nan World Cup final.
Barnes, 44, was nan man successful nan mediate for South Africa’s triumph complete New Zealand successful Paris, but he was taxable to horrendous online maltreatment aft he sent disconnected All Blacks skipper Sam Cane.
Former Welsh referee Owens came done World Rugby’s strategy alongside Barnes. Together, they will beryllium remembered arsenic nan champion 2 officials of nan modern era.
‘Online maltreatment is unluckily thing nan referees of coming person to woody with,’ Owens told Mail Sport. ‘It’s nan world we unrecorded successful but disgraceful and wholly unacceptable.
Nigel Owens(left) described nan online maltreatment faced by modern rugby referees arsenic ‘disgraceful and wholly unacceptable’
English referee Wayne Barnes has announced his status conscionable days aft refereeing nan Rugby World Cup final
The whistler handed retired nan first ever reddish paper successful a last pinch his dismissal of skipper Sam Cane
‘It’s not going to alteration unless we alteration nan rules connected societal media and make group accountable for their words and actions. It’s a toxic spot and very, very unfortunate.
‘I lived successful that world and still do now. I sewage homophobic comments truthful I cognize precisely what it’s like.’
Barnes was ever apt to bring an extremity to his profession aft nan France tourney and location is nary proposal he has discontinue solely because of nan threats he’s received. But astatine nan aforesaid time, it is besides rather clear Barnes has had capable of nan effect societal maltreatment has had connected him and his family. Barnes’ woman Polly has been a beardown sound connected nan subject.
After her hubby refereed past weekend’s World Cup final, she wrote connected societal media: ‘What a vile ambiance astatine nan Stade de France. It’s conscionable a crippled k***heads. See you later World Cup – won’t miss you aliases nan decease threats.’
Barnes – who besides refereed 10 Gallagher Premiership finals and 3 European Champions Cup deciders – has said he wants to ‘advocate for referees’ successful his adjacent role.
He said: ‘I will proceed to advocator for referees and activity intimately pinch nan world rugby lucifer officials association. I want to guarantee lucifer officials crossed nan globe not only person a corporate sound but besides nan due support web for them and their families, peculiarly arsenic online maltreatment has go acold excessively regular for those progressive successful nan game.'
Barnes is nan most-capped referee successful world rugby history having been nan charismatic for 111 Tests betwixt 2006 and this year’s World Cup final. He refereed astatine a grounds 5 World Cups.
World Rugby has reiterated its desire to protect referees from abuse. ‘Over nan past 20 years, I person been successful nan mediate of immoderate of nan top rugby matches successful history,’ said Barnes.
Barnes is nan most-capped referee successful world rugby history and also refereed 10 Gallagher Premiership finals and 3 European Champions Cup deciders
‘I person seen immoderate of nan world’s champion players and worked pinch immoderate of nan finest coaches nan crippled has ever produced. People often opportunity you will cognize erstwhile it is nan correct clip to discontinue and this is intelligibly nan correct clip for maine and my family.’
Owens added: ‘Wayne will rather rightly spell down successful history arsenic 1 of nan all-time awesome referees. His publication to nan crippled connected and disconnected nan section is simply a awesome in installments to him some arsenic a referee and a person. What amended measurement to front retired than successful a World Cup final?
‘He's been astatine nan apical of his crippled for a agelong clip now and I ever opportunity you go a amended referee erstwhile you retire! All in installments to him for wanting to support nan referees of nan future.
‘It’s thing I activity connected successful my domiciled now successful Wales. There is simply a civilization of keyboard warriors retired there. Social media is toxic.
‘Sometimes you wonderment whether it’s worthy being connected there. I deliberation everyone – not conscionable successful rugby – tin deliberation astir nan effect sending a connection connected societal media tin have.’
