Share

SANZAAR responds to SA referee 'bias' claims

Cape Town - SANZAAR, the southern hemisphere's rugby governing body, has responded to criticism from Australia over the standard of Super Rugby refereeing.

Register your interest for the British & Irish Lions tickets in South Africa 2021

Last week, the CEOs of Australia's Super Rugby franchises called for an inquiry into the standard of refereeing, especially those from South Africa.

They were responding to statistics published by the Green and Gold Rugby website which claims over the past three years that South African referees awarded 159 more penalties to local teams in matches against overseas opposition.

Rebels CEO Baden Stephenson went as far as saying the integrity of the competition was "turning into a joke".

On Wednesday, the Australian website followed up its original research with an open letter addressed directly SANZAAR CEO Andy Marinos, again calling on him to respond.

Speaking at a bushfire fundraiser in Sydney on Wednesday, Marinos said the statistics "need to be validated".

"It's very interesting that the whole neutrality (issue) comes up, when we've been on a meritocracy basis for the last 10 or 12 years, so I find that quite interesting at this point in time. I think you've got to take a lens to where it's coming from," Marinos said, as quoted by the ESPN website.

The SANZAAR boss continued: "People are always producing statistics, but we will at the right time communicate our view on where we are from a competition perspective and the performances of our referees. I just don't understand where, all of sudden, after 10 years of meritocracy, suddenly now neutrality becomes an issue because a team, or teams, are suddenly are now feeling aggrieved by processes.

"I think what we need to do, is we need to validate those numbers, we need to put a proper picture in place, which is something we'll do and we'll be responding in due course on that."

- Compiled by Herman Mostert
We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1473 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2252 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE