IRB condemns referee's comments

The International Rugby Board (IRB) has reprimanded world cup referee Paul Honiss after the New Zealander encouraged players to talk to match officials more and question decisions.

Honiss is a veteran of two world cups having turned professional in 1997 and is on the IRB's 12-man Test match referee panel for this September's tournament in France. His comments on New Zealand radio, however, have prompted a public ticking off from the IRB.

Having endeavoured to discourage the growing trend of players back-chatting to the referee in recent years the IRB saw Honiss's comments as counter-productive and described them as "out of line".

"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 IRB chief executive Mike Miller today.

"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."

"Paul Honiss's comments encouraging players to verbally engage the referee more were out of line," he added.

"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."

The IRB's referee manager Paddy O'Brien added: "The referee's decision is final on the field of play. Nowhere in the Game's Laws does it say that players can question the referee or try to influence his decision making.

"The referee's decision is final on the field of play. Nowhere in the Game's Laws does it say that players can question the referee or try to influence his decision making."

The IRB is also to discontinue pre-match meetings between referee's and teams in a bid to reduce any external influences on match officials.

"There will be one pre-tournament briefing with all team coaches and referees and prior to the tournament and that will be that," added O'Brien.