Otago Rugby is stressing the need for fair play on the field and on the sidelines, but it seems the worst offenders are those who should know better.
The union has launched an initiative in which it will place signs at every ground outlining the behaviour expected from both players and spectators.
The idea is the latest in a series of programmes introduced both nationally and in the province to raise the standard of players and spectators in a game in which decisions can often be contentious and not always go down well with all.
Otago Rugby Referees Association chairman Chris Hart said the behaviour had generally improved in higher grades.
Players and spectators in the premier club grade were generally more accommodating of debatable decisions and the abuse had dropped away.
What the association was now finding was down in the junior grades the abuse was at times getting beyond reasonable and parents were getting carried away.
‘‘We are getting young fellas who are trying to play well to get into good schools and when it doesn't go their way the parents can get a bit emotional,'' Hart said.
‘‘I have had a lot of parents of young referees ringing me up and complaining about the abuse they have had.
‘‘You've got to temper that as a lot of it is just banter.
‘‘But banter to someone is abuse to someone else.
''Young players should just get out and play the game and if they were good enough would get into the school they wanted, regardless of who the referee was."
Hart said the Otago union was being very pro-active to try to stamp out abuse of referees from both players and spectators and the signs were another way to stop that. The signs have been financed by Harcourts.
Hart said abuse was perhaps a reflection of society.
‘‘There is a lot less patience around. People are not as patient as they used to be. There is a a lot less forgiveness around.
‘‘But if a referee can get 90% of his decisions right then he should be doing test matches. TMO decisions are very subjective too. If we can get 60-65% of our decisions right then we are doing OK.
‘‘Some spectators think we should get 100% right. But they forget little Johnny might knock the ball on eight times, throw forward passes. They're not doing it right but the referee should.''
Hart said referees also get a different view of the game from being on the ground and not on the sideline.
‘‘Referees in the junior grades might want to let things go. If they ruled on everything then you wouldn't have a game. It would just be constant whistle. So they might let the odd knock-on go.''
The association had lost 25 referees from last year with students graduating and others moving on.
He said more referees had come on board but the association was probably about half a dozen short. The green card scheme brought in last year to reward fair play was on hold this year but might be introduced later in the season.
He said the new rules brought into the premier grade had so far been met by a positive response. The games were becoming a lot faster and referees were having to be a lot fitter.
