It appears that in the world of United Rugby Championship (URC), referees and team captains are finally seeing eye-to-eye, or at least whistle-to-mouthpiece, in a way that’s making the games smoother and the sidelines quieter. Tappe Henning, the head honcho for URC match officials, attributes this newfound harmony to a strategic chinwag with the coaches before the season kicked off.
Henning explained, “World Rugby asked us to build good relationships with players and coaches and to provide opportunities for the captain, when relevant, to ask the referee a question.” It seems the captains got the memo and are now putting their best foot forward—verbally speaking.
The pre-season pow-wow has led to less squawking at the refs during games, a change that’s as refreshing as a halftime orange slice. The new vibe on the field means that game flow is smoother than a well-oiled scrum. Henning outlined the process, saying,
“After a try has been scored, the captain won’t walk in front of the kicker and challenge the referee. If he gets a message from the sideline, he’ll go to the assistant referee, who will relay it to the referee. The TMO also hears that message, so everything continues in a much better way than before.”
This shift isn't just about reducing the decibels. Henning emphasized the mutual respect now prevalent, “It’s good for the game that there are cordial relationships between captains and match officials.” Understanding that pressure can cook up some heated moments, he reassures that all concerns are handled “professionally and with respect from both ends.”
Despite the sea change, disagreements haven’t been banished to the sin bin—they’re just handled more constructively. Henning believes the open dialogue post-match allows for disagreements to be aired and explained in a manner that doesn’t leave anyone seeing red.
It's clear that this respect fest is scoring points for the sport’s integrity, proving that even in the heat of the match, cooler heads and clearer communication can prevail. And if this trend continues, the only chirping we’ll hear will be from the birds outside the stadium.
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It appears that in the world of United Rugby Championship (URC), referees and team captains are finally seeing eye-to-eye, or at least whistle-to-mouthpiece, in a way that’s making the games smoother and the sidelines quieter. Tappe Henning, the head honcho for URC match officials, attributes this newfound harmony to a strategic chinwag with the coaches before the season kicked off.
Henning explained, “World Rugby asked us to build good relationships with players and coaches and to provide opportunities for the captain, when relevant, to ask the referee a question.” It seems the captains got the memo and are now putting their best foot forward—verbally speaking.
The pre-season pow-wow has led to less squawking at the refs during games, a change that’s as refreshing as a halftime orange slice. The new vibe on the field means that game flow is smoother than a well-oiled scrum. Henning outlined the process, saying,
“After a try has been scored, the captain won’t walk in front of the kicker and challenge the referee. If he gets a message from the sideline, he’ll go to the assistant referee, who will relay it to the referee. The TMO also hears that message, so everything continues in a much better way than before.”
This shift isn't just about reducing the decibels. Henning emphasized the mutual respect now prevalent, “It’s good for the game that there are cordial relationships between captains and match officials.” Understanding that pressure can cook up some heated moments, he reassures that all concerns are handled “professionally and with respect from both ends.”
Despite the sea change, disagreements haven’t been banished to the sin bin—they’re just handled more constructively. Henning believes the open dialogue post-match allows for disagreements to be aired and explained in a manner that doesn’t leave anyone seeing red.
It's clear that this respect fest is scoring points for the sport’s integrity, proving that even in the heat of the match, cooler heads and clearer communication can prevail. And if this trend continues, the only chirping we’ll hear will be from the birds outside the stadium.