Personally I find grown men and women shouting abuse at referees, be it at professional level or amateur junior rugby an embarrassment, multiple video referee replays is a slight irritation.

The fans need to call others out on abusing referee to help put a stop to it at both professional and junior level.

Refs calling players on first name terms is were it started. Again you are looking for answers that have been in place before.

The destiny of this sport has changed to cater for others,but they forgot the heritage of the sport.

Now you want change.

Can you explain that, it is a bit obtuse. Do you reckon refs using first names predate abuse at Junior level?

Refs using first names is a bad idea, very, very bad idea...should stop it in League ASAP!

You say Sir/Miss at school. That’s then carried on with the Sports teacher who is Sir/Miss. Sir refs the game,he’s Sir.

That respect was always carried through as I played from my point of view. He never once spoke any first names. Only surnames and numbers.

What about coaches, such as McDermott choosing to use a pre match conferences to switch spectators focus on to the referee performance rather than the Quarter Final match itself. His comments certainly placed the referee under extra scrutiny, including from myself more than I would ever be inclined to do so previously. I think it should be outlawed and any head coach referring to how a game should be officiated pre match, during or post match should be landed with a disrepute charge and fined heavily.

Referees and the game deserve better.

That’s fine but my comments were about referee abuse from junior coaches and players which then sets the example to the players. Referees don’t/can’t use first names because they don’t know them. A lot of young referees are lost to the game because of unpunished club officials and parents.

Well if he we can’t compete with mind games we are doomed.

That is true.

I am replying to the post about referee abuse and talking about a referee being placed under undue pressure on the night, due to said comments, A.

Most refs would pick the name up in play Reffy. They don’t forget.

I never had a problem with the abuse the ref was getting and he didn’t. A totally focused ref will never be intimated.

That’s the decision in life they take and become qualified to do.

Now if you want a debate on why the game has poor reffing. I’d start
with the video ref as being an ultimate opposite in a way ref gains his/her qualifications.

Too many grey areas still. Get shut of the VR (nevermind streamlining it)which has made a mockery of the sport.

Then you’ll get the refs back. The abuse will be no more on any level.

I think about the kids at the game listening to the abuse come from the adults...very poorly done. It is not the proper way to model or instruct the young, they should be taught and HAVE DISPLAYED proper conduct to authority figures....the adults should know better. Deeds speak.

"Run With the Pack!"

Refs pick up names in play and don’t forget?

Let’s think about that, 34 kids in the game and the ref will hear all the names and remember them?

A totally focussed ref will never be intimated (sic).
New young refs taking their first steps are hardly going to be totally focussed are they?
If you think abuse thrown at young refs on a Sunday morning isn’t a problem, you should go and have a look.