Steve Hansen wants to ‘rip the rule book up’ to avoid rugby’s referee controversies

AFP
September 11, 2014 11:47AM



ALL Blacks coach Steve Hansen has called for Rugby union to “rip up the rule book” and simplify its laws after a string of officiating controversies in the Rugby Championship.

Hansen was careful not to criticise referees themselves, but said the complexity of the rules they had to enforce made their job difficult.

“If I was allowed to do one thing in the game I’d rip the rule book up and I’d write another one and just put in the rules that are necessary,” he told reporters ahead of New Zealand’s Test against South Africa in Wellington this weekend.

“We’ve got so many. If you read the rule book there’s clause 5 (a) 2 (c). You read it and it doesn’t even sound like English. The people that suffer the most are the people in the middle.”

Argentina had a legitimate try disallowed at a crucial moment in their 28-9 loss to New Zealand last week and South Africa suffered an agonising 24-23 defeat in Australia after winger Bryan Habana was sin-binned for a tackle controversially deemed to be high.

Springbok fans were furious last year when Bismarck du Plessis was sent off after receiving two yellow cards during South Africa’s 29-15 loss to the All Blacks, with the International Rugby Board later admitting the first card for a tackle on Dan Carter was a mistake.

Hansen said the referees’ task was made harder because rules could be interpreted differently between their home nation, the northern/southern hemispheres and the IRB.

“If they’ve got three different ideas you’ve got three different messages coming at you and I think that’s difficult,” he said.

Hansen suggested the IRB take responsibility for hiring a panel of top referees and touch judges, who could then officiate at all Test matches.

“I’d like them to employ the top 10 refs and get them to do all the games, that way they’d become better and more consistent,” he said.

“Give them two touch judges for the year and say ‘that’s your team, we’ll judge you as a team’.”

http://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/th...-1227055054178



Just a note Steve, they are Laws, not Rules, do us all a favour and throw the rule book you currently have out and get yourself (and Richie) a copy the Laws ;)

Surely the rule (or law) the ref got glaringly wrong in the ABs v Argentina game, i.e. disallowed try due to earlier "knock on", wasn't that complex...........even for a ref..??

I like the idea of the team approach for refs and touchies

Rule book? Law book, probably.

Pretty sure the 'knock on' rule is necessary Steve, so you won't achieve any difference in the new rule book, bro.

And the yellow card for a dangerous tackle is most likely in a Competition Rules document but, in any case, if you want to clearly define what constitutes a dangerous tackle, methinks the publication will be even bigger than it is now!

Quote:

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Hansen suggested the IRB take responsibility for hiring a panel of top referees and touch judges, who could then officiate at all Test matches.

“I’d like them to employ the top 10 refs and get them to do all the games, that way they’d become better and more consistent,” he said.

“Give them two touch judges for the year and say ‘that’s your team, we’ll judge you as a team’.”

---

Brilliant! Then those 10 (+ 2x10) will be the best possible team to officiate in any iRB game. What about the rest? How do you get into that 10? What if 1 or more gets injured? Where is the pathway for up-and-comers?

That's the same as saying give Steve 22 players for the years and say 'that's your team for this year'.

In my opinion - get two or three refs on the paddock a pocket full of weighted snot rags and mic them up to the ground P.A. as well as TV. Like NFL, if they see an infringement, you dig your yellow weighted hanky from your pocket and throw it in the general direction of play. Chief Ref then blows his whistle, clock stops and decision made.

Sport teaches us many things. One of which is, "life isnt fair, and it wont always go your way"
If we can teach the youth of Australia that theory, then why cant grown men comprehend it?

If a ref blows a game to shit, and ruins the outcome, we are all gutted, someone misses out on glory, and it definitely dampens the sport. But thats sport. Thats life. Berrating people, constantly changing rules, adding ref's to the paddock and following the NFL will NEVER remove the unfair nature of sport, or life.

If the ref is favouring the other team at the scrum, scrum better. If your boss favours the bloke in the next cubicle more than you, work harder. If the guy at the pub is winning over the girls because he is rich or handsome, then be funnier. If the the game isnt going your way, try as hard as you can and be proud in your efforts.
Sport is an excellent analogy for life. Bleating about unfair treatment? Well, you see and hear those people on today tonight.

/Im done/

Hansen has foot in mouth disease ... if he so rues the rule book, why do they have coach/ ref pre-match meets? Perhaps he never whinges about protecting his danny boy at these meets, as a result tackles could be tackles instead of over protection.

Like he never sat down in coaches meetings to discuss the best advantage of the new scrum sets, like the old ELVs were never looked at for the best gains ... what does he want? Cake & eat it.

Hansen is the most uninspiring coach in international rugby.

Dwyers comments about Beale on the wing are brilliant (Watch Link do it if KB he doesn't League it next season), Gatts pulling out the BoD in the third test ... some coaches are on the edge when they're allowed to be, Hansen ... yawn.