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By staff writers
April 27, 2009 Test rugby referee Steve Walsh has quit the game, saying the New Zealand Rugby Union was not prepared to help him with his ongoing drinking problems.
Walsh said on New Zealand RadioSport that he had approached the union for help, "but they weren't prepared to buy into that type of counselling and help".
NZRU general manager of professional rugby Neil Sorenson, meanwhile, said the union had offered Walsh plenty of support.
Sorenson said on RadioSport that he had been working with Walsh for the past six to eight months.
"Steve would have received more support from us than any player or administrator that we've ever supported over the last couple of years," Sorenson said.
"That's undeniable and absolutely the honest truth."
Sorenson said the NZRU would continue to support Walsh until at least the end of this year.
Walsh, who refereed his first Test match in June 1998, was New Zealand's most experienced international referee.
He had extensive experience at domestic, Super 14 and international level, having refereed in both Six Nations and Tri Nations tests.
He also officiated during the past two Rugby World Cup tournaments.
Walsh, who made his national referee squad debut in 1996 and refereed 212 first-class games, including 35 Tests, confirmed that he had been in an incident involving alcohol at a SANZAR conference in Sydney last December.
He said that he went out with friends the night before the last day of the three-day conference, and "pretty much drank through the night", arriving for the 9am start still under the influence.
"Pretty much as a consequence of that inquiry and me owning up to my mistakes, the rugby union weren't prepared to give me another chance and the upshot is I've finished refereeing in New Zealand," Walsh said.
http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,...-23217,00.html
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