Rugby News from unexpected places

[Omar Comin']

I think regardless there has to be be very harsh penalty handed out the Spanish players for what happened at end of the Test, it cannot be allowed to go unpunished or one of the main ethos of rugby is seriously compromised!

Agreed. Maybe the match should be replayed with a ref from a neutral country and half a dozen of those Spanish players suspended from it.

 

[Rebels3]

From what iv read, this isn't going away and smells big time. Hope i am wrong but this will test the authorities. Apparently the game has been pulled from the streaming service and Pichot has confirmed world rugby will be looking into it. It's just so football-like, a black eye no matter the outcome.

 

[Derpus]

Yeah, i don't get why referees are randomly allowed to have conflicts of interest but continue to ref matches when in any other industry they would be required to withdraw themselves from acting.

Is the game professional or not? I don't really agree BH. The whole thing is at best incompetent, maybe negligent and maybe corrupt.

Pretty amusing though.

 

[Braveheart81]

Is the game professional or not? I don't really agree BH. The whole thing is at best incompetent, maybe negligent and maybe corrupt.

Not really at this level which is part of the problem.

I still think if you are changing announced referees at the last minute because of the potential for perceived bias you are opening up a can of worms to suggest that referees have vested interests.

 

[Strewthcobber]

The problem is they are damned if they do and damned if they don't.

Referee appointments are done ahead of time and presumably the tournament of five countries involved referees from most of the five countries involved (plus others).

At the time of the referee appointments it wouldn't have been known that the tournament was going to come down to that last match and if Spain lost, Romania would go through.

If you then make the last minute decision to change the referee you are effectively saying that the referee can't be neutral because the result affects the country of their nationality.

If you don't change the referee and something even mildly controversial happens accusations fly and the result appears tainted.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_Rugby_Europe_Championship

Strangely enough, looks like plenty of the refs for other games in the Championship are from neutral countries (I'd guess Germany as an example don't have anyone good enough)

Unfortunatly this one involved a ref who was perceived to not be neutral

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_Rugby_Europe_Championship

Strangely enough, looks like plenty of the refs for other games in the Championship are from neutral countries (I'd guess Germany as an example don't have anyone good enough)

Unfortunatly this one involved a ref who was perceived to not be neutral

The entire officiating team were Romanian. It's not a good look. They should have used completely neutral officials. Then, assuming the same result Spain wouldn't have anything to be able to complain about. At present from their perspective the Romanian head of RE oversaw the appointment of an all Romanian officiating team in a game that would have direct baring on Romanian Rugby.

What's worse is that Spain actually requested a change to the officiating to neutrals and were denied on the ground of it being 'designated in advance'.

 

[Braveheart81]

All match officials from one country for any test match is ridiculous.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

All match officials from one country for any test match is ridiculous.

Yep.

 

[Derpus]

It'll be interesting to see what happens. I wouldn't allow a replay if i was the administrator reviewing the situation.

If they allow a replay or some such then they are admitting that they have fucked up. People will be calling for a replay after every controversial decision.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Not really at this level which is part of the problem.

I still think if you are changing announced referees at the last minute because of the potential for perceived bias you are opening up a can of worms to suggest that referees have vested interests.

Not at all, just removing any suggestion or perception of vested interest/bias. Rugby must the last bastion for ignoring perceptions.

 

[Dan54]

So WR (World Rugby) didn't appoint the refs, they are appointed by the Europe 2nd division , and now it getting pointed out that the head of that is Romanian too. I not really sure what could of been done, or even seen the game ,so don't know if or what was done wrong. They can't have a replay, and one would imagine that Spain will have so many players suspended for this (or should have) that whatever slim chance they had against Samoa to qualify for WC will certainly disappear.

 

[Bandar]

I would expect them to lose to Samoa but they then have the repechage after that. It will also include the next best from Asia, next best from Africa and Canada.

Again a hard route and i reckon the Canadians are very happy with the result of the Belgium-Spain match as they would now have to be favorites to make it through when they did look like missing out.

 

[Lindommer]

All match officials from one country for any test match is ridiculous.

It removes any communications problems which may arise from different languages, soccer do it a lot at international level.

The European rugby pooh-bahs need a kick in the arse over this one, Spain were always going to be furious if they lost. I thought the appointment of neutral officials was done to remove any potential conflicts; Romania advancing due to a loss by a team in a match whistled by a Romanian referee isn't a good look. Especially as the penalty count was 18-8 against Spain. Apparently the match is going to be reviewed by some expert officials from WR (World Rugby) to see if the ref was incompetent or biassed.

I do feel for Belgium but a replay with other officials would seem to be the only fair solution. And a massive fine for the Spanish RU and suspensions for the players who hassled the referee. It isn't soccer, boys.

 

[TheNorth]

It removes any communications problems which may arise from different languages, soccer do it a lot at international level.

The European rugby pooh-bahs need a kick in the arse over this one, Spain were always going to be furious if they lost. I thought the appointment of neutral officials was done to remove any potential conflicts; Romania advancing due to a loss by a team in a match whistled by a Romanian referee isn't a good look. Especially as the penalty count was 18-8 against Spain. Apparently the match is going to be reviewed by some expert officials from WR (World Rugby) to see if the ref was incompetent or biassed.

I do feel for Belgium but a replay with other officials would seem to be the only fair solution. And a massive fine for the Spanish RU and suspensions for the players who hassled the referee. It isn't soccer, boys.

28-8***

 

[Lindommer]

My bad. That's much worse.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

MLR have signed a broadcast deal with ESPN. They'll cover the other 18 games of the inaugural season. Apparently there's one more broadcast deal to be announce. Suspected to be with YouTube. They've done an amazing job of getting these deals up and running.

 

[The torpedo]

Agreed. Maybe the match should be replayed with a ref from a neutral country and half a dozen of those Spanish players suspended from it.

Prophetic!

http://www.skysports.com/rugby-unio...tion-request-for-belgium-match-to-be-replayed

 

[Derpus]

I've heard the best part of that match is when Spain had a penalty advantage, broke through the line and were clear through for a try and the ref pulled it back for the penalty, for no discernible reason.

Class act.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

I've heard the best part of that match is when Spain had a penalty advantage, broke through the line and were clear through for a try and the ref pulled it back for the penalty, for no discernible reason.

Class act.

Apparently the RE Chairman (who is the Romanian guy who oversaw this shit show) acquired the Romanian TV rights for the RWC via a shell corp based out of Malta. If true this just got a whole lot murkier.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

On the Sth American League.

This is a direct quote taken from another forum from a guy with extensive links to the CBRU (Brazil)

"More infos about the South American League I got after talking to some people involved in Brazilian high performance:

- It will run from February to May/June;
- With this, the Americas Rugby Championship will be in August/September probably;
- Paraguay, Colombia and Mexico might get one team each indeed;
- Argentine players will be all over the other franchises;
- All the teams will have Pacific players too. There will be a minimum of foreign players to rise the level of the teams."

There's also a Chilean group called Pro Rugby Chile who are looking to be the Chilean entrant to the league under the name "Moai Chile".