CrapRefs.com

Young Counties Manukau referee Jessica Beard will join the NZ Rugby Union Referee Academy next year. Given the furore following refereeing decisions at the recent World Cup, perhaps what is needed is more women. Many would say that they cannot make it worse.

The Bay of Plenty captain believed that referee James McPhail was inconsistent in how he ruled the breakdown in last Sunday’s key clash. The first thing he said in the post match interview was that he was ‘pissed off’ and went on to explain that his frustrations were directed squarely at the match officials. Rua [...]

Waikato got out to a 17-3 lead by half time behind some excellent play by returning ex-All Black, Stephen Donald. But Otago wrestled momentum early in the second spell with two tries in seven minutes, reducing the lead to just 2 points (17-15). Then 2 referees decisions swung the momentum Otago were penalised at their [...]

Bay of Plenty captain and Chiefs number 8 Colin Bourke let his feelings known about the referee and linesmen in the aftermath of the Bay’s loss to Tasman by 2 points in a critical Round 11 ITM Cup match. Bourke – picked by some to tour with the All Blacks in their end of season [...]

Chris Pollock is not a crap ref. Quite the opposite. He’s composed but firm, he’s consistent and has a positive rapport with the players. But he missed a big call in the Counties v Northland match at Pukekohe on Sunday. A penalty try should have been awarded to Northland for a high tackle that stopped [...]

Semi-Final #1 Canterbury v Hawkes Bay Referee Jonathon White had a good game here. The game flowed, White went largely unnoticed and when required to act, he did so with a level head. This was exemplified with the common sense decision around a potentially dangerous tackle that saw the tackled player’s legs being lifted up [...]

This wasn’t a pretty game. There were a lot of very basic ball-handling errors on a clear, dry evening in Tauranga. The referee, Nathan Pearce, was from Australia and had a large panel of assessor-types watching him from the sideline. He had some interesting interpretations at the breakdown, seemingly favouring the team in possession over [...]

The New Zealand NPC rugby competition has seen changes in the way matches are adjudicated. The main differences are: Tackling Any tackle that somehow finds it way to the upper chest is deemed ‘high’ Any tackle that involves lifting a player’s legs, no mater how high or whether there is no potential danger is deemed, [...]

TV commentators are talking as if referees have made it clear which laws were being focused o for this year’s New Zealand National Provincial Championship (NPC) but no-one told us – the paying public. And it doesn’t seem like the players have been all that well versed with the high amount of penalties being awarded [...]