Owen Doyle: Conflating cheating with ‘character' will make refereeing rugby impossible

Irish Times

10-06-2025

If you've an old dictionary lying around, you'll see that the words 'character' and 'cheat' are separated by about a mere 10 words. Notice also, that they are both many tens of thousands of words distant from 'respect'.
Martin Anayi has undoubtedly done some good things as chief executive of the URC. But his recent comments on the Shark's Jaden Hendrikse's '
cramp and wink
' left me perplexed, worried too.
Incredibly, Anayi did not condemn the gamesmanship around the whole incident. Instead, he was delighted that it had created a big leap in viewership. And, that the game needs characters.
It is so much more about generally approving player actions which sail along, and across, the borders of cheating
'There are heroes and villains in all great sporting stories,' he suggested, making light of the incident, but forgetting that villains in fairytales get punished. The same as in rugby. Most of South Africa seems aligned with the chief executive's view, but we might well have been listening to a different tune if the boot had been on the other foot. But that wasn't likely, it's not in Munster's DNA.
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However, it's not about this one specific affair. It is so much more about generally approving player actions which sail along, and across, the borders of cheating. French scrumhalf Nolann Le Garrec took a dive recently when playing for Racing 92. The whole of France screamed in outrage, and nobody shrugged an indifferent Gallic shoulder in his defence − that's what should happen. Le Garrec apologised.
In the 2015 World Cup, Stuart Hogg went down, as if poleaxed, after minimal contact with an opponent, ironically a South African. There was a lot of it about at the time, and World Rugby reacted by introducing a new law in 2016. It specifically forbids play acting, referred to as 'simulation'.
Cardiff 1978: Wales played New Zealand, not having won against them since 1953. They still haven't. Andy Haden infamously threw himself out of a lineout, earning the winning penalty for the Kiwis. Referee Roger Quittenton maintained he penalised a separate offence, but Haden's dive demonstrated a totally unsporting preference to win without honour, rather than to lose with it. No respect either for the opposition. Was Haden a character, or simply a cheat?
Thierry Henry's handball that led to France's goal against Ireland in the 2010 World Cup qualifying playoff. Screengrab: Sky Sports
In football, we regularly see unacceptable antics. Every single sportsperson in Ireland was incensed when, in the 2010 World Cup qualifying playoff, Thierry Henry used his hand to keep the ball in play, enabling France to score seconds later. His handball put Ireland out of the competition, and earned the FAI a €5 million compensation cheque. Quite the character, our Thierry.
If this catches on, the very difficult task of refereeing rugby will become impossible. We would watch it spread like slurry into the AIL, into schools' rugby too. It will be accompanied by foul-mouthed sledging, which, very unhappily, is now commonplace in the pro game.
So, World Rugby should make clear their position, as well as the individual unions, and referees must come down hard - straight red cards are the answer. The idea of attributing it to 'characters' is totally skewed. It creates a cheats' charter, and is contrary to WR's own playing charter, which includes these compelling words: 'Integrity is essential to the fabric of the game, and is generated by honesty and fair play.'
Lose integrity, and rugby itself is lost. I rest my case.
In 2021, under Nucifora's watch, 62 current and former women players wrote to the government, seeking help
'Respect' got an airing recently from former IRFU performance director, David Nucifora. In decrying the decision of his successor, David Humphreys, to halt the men's Sevens programme, Nucifora lamented the lack of respect shown to the players. Should we heed his words?
In 2021, under Nucifora's watch, 62 current and former women players wrote to the government, seeking help. They stated, among other damning stuff, that they had lost all faith and trust in the IRFU. Seriously misreading the situation, the IRFU reacted by rubbishing the letter. The government, distinctly unimpressed, fired a rocket across their bows. We then witnessed the greatest climbdown since Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay successfully descended Everest.
Former IRFU performance director David Nucifora. Photograph: Ben Brady/Inpho
The outcome has been very positive for the women's game, with chief executive Kevin Potts taking constructive steps to ensure that it gets the status and investment it deserves. The outcome, though, was not so good for Anthony Eddy, imported from Australia by Nucifora to run the women's and Sevens games. He returned home shortly after the debacle. Homesickness was the reason given.
And, lest we forget, David McHugh, head of referees, was dismissed without even a hint of a warning, terminating the employment of a valued, senior staff member, of 20 years standing. That ended up on the steps of the High Court. Respect? I don't think so.
The above is all a matter of public record. So, lecturing the IRFU on the subject of respect is indeed rich coming from Nucifora. It's also hard to countenance that a former director, of any company, would turn his guns on the organisation he has just left.
Finally on this matter, whoever or whatever is responsible for the current somewhat troubled state of Irish rugby, it is not David Humphreys. He's barely in the door.
Both URC semi-final referees, Andrea Piardi and Andrew Brace, did well. Brace had the greater challenge, and was stronger than he has been in his communication and decision making, including three first-half yellows to the Bulls. Strong, calm refereeing is the only pathway to earning essential respect.
The raging Bulls were unrelentingly ferocious in their victory over the Sharks, the final is certain to deliver a battle of fearsome intent. No place for the faint of heart.