Fraser Brown feels rugby union is on the verge of a “precipice” due to the mistreatment of officials and players.
The 34-year-old Glasgow Warriors and Scotland forward called the growing instances of verbal intimidation, online abuse, and, in certain cases, death threats, “disgusting,” “unwarranted,” and a “cancer” in the game while speaking on the Scotland Rugby Podcast.
To put his and his family’s mental health first, England and Saracens captain Owen Farrell recently announced he is taking a leave of absence from the Test arena for the foreseeable future.
The Bulls supporters then heckled Farrell during a Champions Cup game. Bulls head coach Jake White expressed regret on the team’s behalf and denounced the way the fly-half was treated.
Prior to Farrell’s declaration, Tom Foley, the World Cup final television match official, declared he was taking a break from officiating international matches due to threats he received online following the Paris conclusion.
The final referee, Wayne Barnes, has talked extensively about the threats made against his life and the lives of his family following the match between New Zealand and South Africa, the winners, in Paris.
Barnes has been the target of ominous behavior before, and he and Foley are not the only officials who have been singled out.
Fly-half for Leinster Following the Champions Cup final against La Rochelle in Dublin earlier this year, Jonny Sexton approached match officials in a “confrontational, aggressive, and disrespectful” manner, for which he was banned for three games.
Ben O’Keeffe, a Kiwi referee, talked about the horrible abuse he endured after calling Ireland’s victory over Australia in the fall of 2022.
During the British and Irish Lions’ 2021 tour of South Africa, Australian referee Nic Berry claimed he was the victim of a character assassination after Springbok director of rugby Rassie Erasmus criticized his decision-making in an hour-long video.
Following the release of the video, Berry faced a great deal of backlash online. Erasmus faced a year-long ban.
Regarding the England captain, Brown remarked, “You cannot deny that Owen Farrell is one of the greatest players to play for England.” If you take away all the emotion, he is one of England’s greatest players ever, regardless of whether you like or love the player. He is among the greatest captains the game has ever seen.
“A captain’s level of fan love is not a yardstick by which to judge him. The players’ admiration and respect for him serve as your yardstick for him.
“Players in both the Saracens and England lineups adore him when you speak with them. They adore him despite his harsh behavior toward them.
“I find it incomprehensible that he would be removed from the global scene due to mistreatment he is receiving, not only from his supporters but also from his own media.
“While his tackle technique was rightfully criticized, the criticism went far, far beyond that. Furthermore, he is not the only player who is understanding this. The referees understand. It’s unnecessary and repulsive. It was like a never-ending assault of abuse when it came to Owen.”
“The Farrell case could be a turning point”
“Not many do it because of the abuse that comes their way,” Brown said in response to the question of why so few international players choose to become referees after their careers are over.
“Every game, players make countless mistakes, but when a referee makes even one, he receives backlash and abuse on social media. It’s a bit of a cancer in sports generally, but especially in rugby at the moment.
“In the Test arena, there is a hundredfold increase in pressure and attention. Everything is examined closely. The intensity of it is both emotionally and physically taxing for players.
“Hopefully, we can pull ourselves back from the brink, and perhaps the Owen Farrell case will act as a catalyst for change, causing people to realize that this is something that needs to be addressed. For it to change, appropriate action must be taken.”
