Players warned over backchat

Following yesterday's reprimand of referee Paul Honiss, and the outburst directed at referee Stuart Dickinson by the French coach Bernard Laporte after his side's first Test against New Zealand this summer, next month's World Cup could be a stressful environment for officials. Players will also have to be more careful when making on-pitch inquiries.

Honiss, who is on the IRB's 12-man referee panel, was targeted for comments he made on New Zealand radio last week, encouraging players to talk more to referees and to question decisions. His views were deemed to be clearly against IRB policy.

"Last November the IRB announced that match officials would enforce a zero-tolerance policy when it came to players disputing decisions on the field," said the IRB chief executive, Mike Miller.

"This followed a meeting of the IRB Test match referee panel and national union referee managers and reflected a desire to curb the growing trend of players continually questioning and disputing referee decisions.

"The message from the IRB has not changed. Back-chat and arguing with a match official will not be tolerated, nor will any attempt to influence a referee or slow down the match through questioning the referee.

"Players who overstep the mark will be penalised accordingly and the IRB has reiterated this policy to the referee panel."

Dickinson lodged a complaint over Laporte's conduct in June, when the men met in a Wellington hotel on the eve of France's second Test against the All Blacks, which New Zealand won 60-10.

Laporte was reportedly furious with the Australian over his handling of the first Test, which the All Blacks won 42-11. A witness to the confrontation claimed the Frenchman told Dickinson, "You do this tomorrow and you will be finished."

Laporte was subsequently instructed by the French federation to write a letter of apology to the official.

The IRB are to hold a briefing and training session with match officials to try to ensure consistency of officiating and the application of zero-tolerance policies for things such as verbal abuse.

"Paul Honiss's comments encouraging players to verbally engage the referee more were out of line," added Miller. "He has been reprimanded by the IRB referee manager and he has been told that such actions will not be tolerated moving forward.

"He has been reminded about his responsibilities as a Test match referee and he has accepted that his actions were contrary to IRB policy. The matter is now closed."

In addition, the IRB will discontinue pre-match meetings between coaches and referees with the intention of removing unnecessary external influences on match officials and allow them to referee what they see in front of them without any preconceptions. There will be one pre-tournament briefing with all team coaches and referees prior to the tournament.

"The referee's decision is final on the field of play," said New Zealand's IRB referee manager, Paddy O'Brien. "Nowhere in the game's laws does it say that players can question the referee or try to influence his decision-making. We allow captains to talk to the referee, but only at appropriate moments and it is not a given right."