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RFU bin half-time Barnes salute due to recent Springboks fallout
By Liam Heagney
The recent Springboks’ criticism of record-breaking referee Wayne Barnes had an unfortunate sequel at Twickenham on Saturday. Barnes’ milestone in becoming a Test centurion referee was due to be acknowledged at half-time during the England versus South Africa match.
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However, this interval salute to his achievement was binned due to fears it would be greeted with boos from Springboks supporters attending the game. RFU president Nigel Gillingham had reported on page seven of the official match programme that Barnes’ milestone would be celebrated at the break in the final match of the 2022 Autumn Nations Series.
“We will be marking at half-time the wonderful achievement of Wayne Barnes, who on November 5 refereed his 100th Test international when he officiated at the Wales vs New Zealand Test, only the second referee to reach this remarkable milestone,” wrote the RFU official.
However, this idea of an on-pitch salute was called off before kickoff, TV commentator Nick Mullins tweeting: “Plans to mark Wayne Barnes’ record-breaking career as a referee at half-time have been shelved. With his family and children here, there are worries about how some in the crowd might react. This is why and where it must end.”
Barnes became the most-capped Test referee ever when he took charge of the November 12 France versus Springboks game in Marseille, but his performance drew the ire of South African fans with even death threats allegedly featuring in the torrent of abuse.
The situation surrounding South Africa’s narrow loss to the French had been inflamed by Rassie Erasmus, the Springboks’ director of rugby, posting a series of sarcastic tweets on social media. Erasmus claimed that his comments weren’t criticisms of Barnes, but World Rugby thought otherwise and they banned the DoR for two matches – last weekend’s South African game in Genoa and this Saturday’s year-ending contest with England in London.
The suspension resulted in a meeting on Thursday between Erasmus, World Rugby CEO Alan Gilpin and the global rugby body’s director of rugby, Phil Davies.
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That is very sad.
Japan has the best fans and South Africa definitely has the worst, very opinionated for people who don't know the laws of Rugby.
Observant,,🥳🥱
Maybe we are opinionated, but most schoolboys in South Africa know more about Rugby and the rules of Rugby, than Mr Barnes. Being the first and obvious rule is to be unbiased and fair. That is the fundamental essence of Rugby, the South African national sport, not Soccer and cricket and then Rugby like in the UK.
Lol you are a clown
You seem to be very opinionated about who are the best and worst fans
Are South Africa not the world champions? Think how good they can be if we know the rules.
Decisions made out of fear, pusillanimity, patronizing condescension, and an ignoble pretension to a higher plane of morality, basically sums up English rugby on this day of days. Enjoy!
barnes did the Boks in as far as I can remember, 2012?????
The right decision. Barnsie learned some lessons on the way and we'll done to him but time to retire. Angus Gardiner today was the real deal and at least we will be talking rugby not refs in the aftermath
Time to retire? You’re speaking of him like he’s gol’dam Sea Biscuit.