Case against Rassie a landmine for World Rugby

As I was saying oaks. 

World Rugby would do well to tread carefully in its pursuit of sanctions against Rassie Erasmus and SA Rugby as the misconduct hearing could blow up in its face, writes ZELIM NEL.

The long-held perception is that World Rugby is quick to use its position of power to defend its reputation, but slow to address issues that have negative effects on the game. It’s not an altogether accurate position given the positive impact of the governing body’s annual investment in the poorer rugby nations.

The perception is fuelled by the disconnect between World Rugby’s marketing arm and the reality of the pro game, and the result is that spectators are often left with a ‘product’ that doesn’t resemble what was on the packaging.

Part of this disconnect manifests itself in weekly controversy related to refereeing decisions. Let’s cover that rabbit hole with the fact that the clinical application of the laws would deliver a contest very different to the one presented by the marketing department.

There’s an unspoken agreement between World Rugby and officials that the latter will massage the law book to tilt the contest and conjure a rugby fairytale, and this is perhaps the reason why the governing body doesn’t come down hard on referees after contentious issues arise.

How can it publicly berate officials who they’ve effectively given license to story-tell the law book?

On the other side of the debate are coaches and players whose livelihoods depend on results. And when, because of inconsistent officiating, results become difficult for those parties to control through quality preparation and performance, frustration grows.

Erasmus’ video to World Rugby is apparently not the first time he has cut such a review and sent it to headquarters, though it is the first time it made it into the public domain. (PLEASE NOTE OAKS!)

SA Rugby’s rivals spotted the gap to try to impede the intimidating world champions and this has applied pressure on World Rugby to quell the rebellion, so to speak.

But the governing body would do well to tread carefully in this matter as its rugby reign is at its most tenuous, perhaps ever.

Private money is flooding into rugby and along with it high rollers who aren’t sitting with their fingers on their lips waiting for World Rugby to let them know when they can go to the bathroom.

Soccer went professional before rugby and the evolution of that sport is a clear forecast of what awaits World Rugby – clubs with private owners have left national interests in their dust as soccer has gone global.

Rugby is headed the same way and it’s a matter of time before Test rugby is only most cherished among the game’s eldest segment of supporters. Whether World Rugby survives that transition probably depends on its ability to remain a relevant and respected regulator.

There have been calls for World Rugby to make an example of Erasmus and SA Rugby in the current misconduct inquest, but at least one private equity stakeholder in South African rugby has offered his resources in support of the embattled director of rugby.

This disciplinary process could result in a spectacular backfire for World Rugby if they impose heavy sanctions on SA Rugby, and in doing so galvanise club owners to start making plans to protect themselves, and their investment, against the influence of the game’s governing body.

N OT TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THE DISGUST OF THOSE INSISTING THAT REFS BE FAIR AND COMPETENT. GO RASSIE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hasbeeno why is it only SA writers backing Harrassmus.

Methinks he’s for the high jump!!!

Because nobody, especially crooked ab fans mind if the Boks get shafted by bent refs. Moo I honestly dont expect the kiwi bird brain to be supporting Rassie as nobody has benefited more from crooked refs that the wee abs. 

However I have seen supportive comments from overseas journalists. The big problem all these bent ref fans have is the evidence.

As I said, and will say again, this bad officiating has gone on far too long. I am delighted Rassie has blown it all up. 

Rassie it appears has sent in evidence of ref failures before but nothing happens. The IRB just covers it up. The get the Jarpie vendetta against the Boks by Oz and Nz continues to this day. Hence I am pleased it looks as if we might join the 6 Nations.

Leave Nz and Oz to stew.  

Also I will be interested to see who leaked the video. That also may cause the IRB problems as they gun for the world's best coach.

No very glad this malignant cancer has been brought out into the open. 

If the ref applied the laws "fairly" according to the plastiks, the Boks would have lost the Lions series and the second Puma test would have been an entirely different game. This is where your narrative falls apart. The perception that the Boks are being "shafted" and given a raw deal. A fairytale over the past few years. You reference an email between refs that is almost 20 years old, or incidents that are ten years old. The days of the Boks having the most cards per incident are long gone. So too the All Blacks being given a total pass. Things have changed. I'm very aware of the refs, given past history. I haven't seen one test over the past six or seven years where I can say, "Yep, we were definitely robbed". This year I have seen quite the opposite. If Josè is really a great coach, he would have knuckled down and worked on the team's very many shortcomings. Our game is so linear and simplistic calling it a game plan infers a level of genius and detail that doesn't exist. He tried to circumvent this by pushing the refs into empowering his shoddy dirt scribble plan. He has nothing to say about the the second Puma test, and the introduction of the race card for absolutely shambolic Kolisi is one of the greatest threats to the integrity of the game. Instead of coaching his quota captain to be a better leader, to teach him to assert himself instead of looking like a lost little boy tugging on mommy's dress, he blames the refs and makes them afraid to do anything to the Boks in this PC culture where refs have been banned, sacked, fined and publicly shamed for even the slightest suggestion of bias against a black man/woman/Xir. Josè must be punished for the good of the game. 

Arch Plastic, the dreadful Org, fails to note how the Refs virtually ignored Kolisi. Very racist of you Org.

It was good to see an instant change after the video. Kolisi was actually listened to by the ref.

Now no more whining Org.  Rassie did the right thing and the Boks won. Us real Bok supporters are very happy with it all!

More egg landed on you and Mozzz and of course on that egg magnet rooitwitterbug! 

Kolisi leading the Boks, behind Eben. 

Haha too true….but the fans have now entirely bought the inspirational captain bit.

This author makes the same point I have made, but he makes it incorrectly. He sees it as a gulf between reality and a fairy tale.

In fact Rugby is a game officiated by rules and customs. It’s a rule that foul play after a penalty reverses that penalty… .but it’s a custom that only dangerous play is ever called in that regard. Just another one Harrassmus got wrong.

The fact is his video is not a revelation, it’s a nothing that should have been debunked but wasn’t because nobody wanted to touch the tar baby.

"There’s an unspoken agreement between World Rugby and officials that the latter will massage the law book to tilt the contest and conjure a rugby fairytale, and this is perhaps the reason why the governing body doesn’t come down hard on referees after contentious issues arise."

This is something that I've long suspected. Purely because there is huge incentive involved. Fairytale matches =  rugby popularity = greater clout for WR. 

And when you think about it... SA, with it's first black skipper, in a world mezmarised by identity politics, it's no surprise that things went so well for us in the WC.

Where a ref that has been unanimously despised by SA fans suddenly does a complete U-turn reffing games involving SA at the WC.

Honestly, it's surprising that so few people ever drew a comparison between the Jerome we all hate versus the Jerome that reffed our games at the WC. 

Were it a one-off, I might call it chance. But he was consistently different over multiple games. Yeah yeah, I'm cynical. But if you watched the WC matches then surely you must have noticed it too? 

The difference was stark, to say the least.

Edit: before somebody says "Maybe we just made less errors at the WC." Yeah, maybe. Well done. Now F off. 

"And when you think about it... SA, with it's first black skipper, in a world mezmarised by identity politics, it's no surprise that things went so well for us in the WC.

Where a ref that has been unanimously despised by SA fans suddenly does a complete U-turn reffing games involving SA at the WC."

It wass odd yes...we didn't get shafted with the 50/50's.

I for one do not think Kolisi is an inspirational captain etc but it was obvious in the Lions test that the ref paid him scant attention.

Beeno wading thr ough the mozzzzz spin.

It's not the refs job to kneel down and say, "Hello little boy, do you habe something you want tell me?". Be a man and lead. Did Gregan passively stand by and wait to be tended to? Does Eben do that? Why Kolisi? He looks lost and out of his depth. He has no field presence. In almost every test it's like he isn't even on the field at all. 

"It's not the refs job to kneel down and say, "Hello little boy, do you habe something you want tell me?". Be a man and lead. Did Gregan passively stand by and wait to be tended to? Does Eben do that?"

Agreed, I have previously mentioned the exact same thing

Kolisi did himself no favours by n ot being assertive enough on the field

His assertiveness was never an issue until the first Lions test? Suddenly he wasn't assertive enough not to be heard by the ref...what utter HS!!!

I have been saying for years that he is too passive. I have questioned his leadership from day 1 at the Stormers. 

...you've been saying lots of things...nobody else had problems with his style of captaincy...he's being backed up by Eben, Thor and Am...the ref was kak, plain and simple.

Draad the plain and simple eludes these two one eyed  observers. 

I bet that would go down well. Eben: "I think I should be captain because Kolisi isn't good enough to be a Bok". Herr Draht, you do yourself a disservice talking like a tween. 

"His assertiveness was never an issue until the first Lions test? Suddenly he wasn't assertive enough not to be heard by the ref...what utter HS!!!"

Just because it doesn't fit your narrative does not make it horse shit

For a while now Kolisi has been very timid when dealing with the ref, but it has never received the focus that it has now... especially with the unfounded "racist" connotation attached to it.

Look at previous games, he has a habit of doing it

"Just because it doesn't fit your narrative does not make it horse shit"

I've got no "narrative"...the ref should not let "assertiveness" and "timidness" influence his behavior...he should be impartial regardless of personality...it's not a school-break soccer match, it's test rugby...that's part of the issue...the ref let the occasion overwhelm him and forgot to be thoroughly neutral.

I would have preferred Thor or Eben for the captaincy,  but I can see the vallue of having a black captain for the Boks...it has reduced political interference exponentially. 

BTW, I don’t think he's timid, rather soft-spoken and reserved...not as obnoxious as some captains...some think they're bigger than the game...he's not like Jones running his trap with indignation everytime a call goes against him ... Kolisi's humility is quite refreshing,  no wonder some confuse it for something else...unheard of in pro sports these days.

It's ineffective. 

Effective enough when measured against results.

"he should be impartial regardless of personality"

I fully agree..... but what if the ref never heard Kolisi on some of these occasions...….

Say Kolisi was just not loud enough, or in your face enough to be responded to

And I don't mean in a rude or provocative way, but in a way that ensures that you get a response from the individual that you are talking with.

Kolisi does not always do that.

I am a massive fan of Kolisi, but I do definitely believe that this is a huge learning curve for him, it is a weakness he has

I know where you're coming from, and I agree in broad terms, but it shouldn't be an excuse for a referee in a top tier test match...Rassie was spot on...was surprised he had the balls to do what he did.

To play the race card takes balls?

https://youtu.be/bOgiD3fVujU

The HUN is either at your throat or at your feet.

In other words does not understand the true strength of HUMILITY or even the meaning of it.

Are you referring to JoHun Harrassmus?

You know very well what I was inferring to...the dogs may bark but the caravan moves on.

Actually I don’t, spell it out.

Kolisi is not a Captain or a Springbok.

The only thing that makes up for his average game and leadership is the color of his skin.

He should never start a game but should be on the bench to meet with the quota formula of the ANC.

There are many players that deserve selection (both white and players of color) ahead of Kolisi.

No discussion required.

Football is not rugby.

Rugby is a confidential sport, enjoyed by upper classes in the few countries it set in.

Thinking that clubs are going to dominate the scene in rugby is preposterous. It wont happen.

Two few countries play rugby and even fewer has the domestic place to sustain a domestic championship.

France has it. England already less. Then after no one, neither Ireland, Scotland nor Wales. NZ does not have either. Nor Australia or Argentina. Rugby is on its last breath in South Africa.

" Rugby is on its last breath in South Africa."

Could have fooled me...World Champions n'all....we produce more and more players playing here and abroad...

Already stated: WCs were gifted to SA in order to try to kickstart rugby and reduce problems. It measures nothing but the willing of WR to compromize in order to try and save SA rugby.

As to the other point, once again, it never misses: failure to apply to oneself what is applied to others.

What is not applied: SA black population is increasing in number. Not recalling what was said about this.

Contrary to black families that are fatherless, SA rugby has no motherland, it has no fatherland, it has no home.

Any rugby player coming from SA is an orphan who was taught rugby or the lack of in a country where rugby has no root.

They are players with no attachment. They are without any family. The whole SA rugby goes around the world, begging to be adopted.

"Already stated: WCs were gifted to SA in order to try to kickstart rugby and reduce problems. It measures nothing but the willing of WR to compromize in order to try and save SA rugby."

How did WR give it to the Boks?...were the opposing teams bribed to lose on purpose, or was it blatant cheating by the officials? How did they wrap this wonderful gift? I suppose it was our turn, since NZ were gifted the previous two. Following that logic, the Aussies are probably next in line...poor sods need it.