Latest news with #Gilpin
Leader Live
a day ago
- Sport
- Leader Live
World Rugby rebuffs Joe Schmidt's safety claim over Lions' match-winning try
Hugo Keenan touched down with 51 seconds left at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, but the match-winning try was only given after the TMO had reviewed Morgan's contact with Carlo Tizzano in the preceding ruck, which was ultimately deemed legal by referee Andrea Piardi. Furious Schmidt, who had seen his Wallabies edged 29-26 to concede the series with one Test to play, insisted it was the wrong call, adding that 'it doesn't really live up to the big player safety push that they (World Rugby) are talking about'. Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh backed Schmidt's view that it was a dangerous clearout and the try should have been disallowed. World Rugby has been conducting a review into the incident in conjunction with Australia, the Lions and the match officials, which will be completed in time for Saturday's final Test between the rivals in Sydney. Chief executive Alan Gilpin, speaking at an event revealing ticketing details for the 2027 World Cup, has hit back at Schmidt. 'It's disappointing when the reaction is one of 'this means player welfare isn't taken seriously' because we have worked really hard on that narrative,' said Gilpjn, who revealed Schmidt will not face disciplinary action for his comments. 'Everyone knows we are putting player welfare, in its broadest sense, at the top of the agenda. 'You can see that from what we are doing with the instrumented mouthguards, all the research, the science, the investigations. 'The way the laws of the game have evolved in the last few years is all about 'how do we have this great physical contest, but make it as safe as possible?'. That part is challenging, in terms of the player welfare statements.' Gilpin insists Piardi and his assistants Ben O'Keeffe and Nika Amashukeli are being supported amid the backlash against the officials in some quarters. And the World Rugby boss invoked Rassie Erasmus' public criticism of Nic Berry during the Lions' tour to South Africa in 2021 and the experiences of retired referee Wayne Barnes, who has spoken of the abuse his family received, to highlight the importance of protecting officials. 'It's just making them realise they're supported and that we are checking in on them. They're a great unit. They've been together on this tour as a team,' Gilpin said. 'You'll recall that in the last Lions series in South Africa, when the match official in the first Test was very heavily criticised…the mental health challenges… 'Wayne Barnes has talked about it. We've got match officials who, when they're criticised publicly, see their families targeted outside the school gates. 'That's not good, that's not fair and that's not right, so we've got to support these guys.' Lions fly-half Finn Russell had accused Tizzano of making the most of the challenge, stating that he 'obviously holds his head and tried to get a penalty from it'. But having being relayed Gilpin's comments earlier on Tuesday, Schmidt revealed the extent of the damage sustained by the Wallabies flanker. 'Talking about the instrumental mouthguards, with Carlo when he was hit, I feel sorry for him because he's copping a lot of flak, but that impact was almost double what they determine as a high magnitude impact,' Schmidt told Stan Sports. 'So that's the degree of force that he had to wear. And that in itself is enough to force someone to recoil as he did. So those are some of the things that we get actual readings on. 'He's had a pretty sore neck for the last 24-48 hours. But he's back, he's resilient and he's back looking forward to the weekend.' Australia 2027 has released details of its ticketing plan for the next World Cup, with fans able to register to access the presale from Tuesday.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
World Rugby chief Alan Gilpin gives his verdict on new rebel R360 league - and outlines key issue that could force players to 'vote with their feet'
World Rugby chief executive Alan Gilpin has insisted players will 'vote with their feet' if joining the game's proposed new rebel league means they cannot represent their countries too. Mail Sport this week revealed the latest on R360's plans to shake up rugby's established order, with Manchester United and Liverpool owners the Glazers and Fenway Sports Group, as well as Red Bull, ready to buy into the tournament as franchise owners. The first season of R360 is slated to start in September 2026. Home-based English players who join the rebel competition – where contracts of up to $1million-a-season are being offered – would have to give up international rugby to do so. That's because RFU rules state players must be employed by a Premiership club to represent Steve Borthwick 's national side. 'We know players want to play international rugby. It is the pinnacle of the game,' said Gilpin, speaking in Australia on Tuesday. 'It's important whatever is getting endorsed and invested in gives players that opportunity. 'Whatever doesn't give players that opportunity, the players will vote with their feet on that. 'We've got to make sure whatever competitions players are going to play in, they can play in those big moments. They want to and the fans want that too. 'In England, if you don't play Premiership Rugby, you're not selected for the national team other than in some very exceptional circumstances. 'There are different versions of that around the world. 'That's a question national federations need to consider.' Given the lucrative money, as well as numerous other welfare benefits including fewer games on offer with R360, it is likely some players will be willing to give up Test rugby to join. Gilpin believes any external investment into rugby from the likes of Red Bull would be welcomed, so long as it benefits the sport as a whole and not just a few individuals. He added he would be keen to engage with R360's driving forces in 2003 England World Cup winner Mike Tindall and leading agent Mark Spoors as soon as possible. 'We need to have a dialogue with those guys when they are ready to do that. Rugby needs investment,' Gilpin said. 'Rugby is in a really competitive environment. Around the world, every sport is competing in an ever more difficult attention economy. 'Investment into the game is great. 'As long as that investment is driving into the right areas and creating a more financially sustainable game for players and for the wider ecosystem, then we encourage it. 'We've got to understand what that means in the R360 case.'
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Calls for more respect for referees after Wallabies' uproar in second Lions Test
World Rugby officials have called for greater respect to be shown towards referees following the furore over the pivotal late call in Saturday's second Test between Australia and the British & Irish Lions. Alan Gilpin, World Rugby's chief executive, believes the mental health of match officials needs prioritising and has described the post-game outburst by the Wallabies coach, Joe Schmidt, as'disappointing'. The call by the Italian referee Andre Piardi to allow the Lions' match-clinching late score was criticised by Schmidt, who was unhappy with the decision not to penalise Jac Morgan for a clear-out just prior to Hugo Keenan's try. A routine post-match review of the officiating is continuing but Gilpin says public criticism of match officials is unfair on those at the sharp end. 'We've got match officials who, when they're criticised publicly, are having their families targeted outside the school gates,' said Gilpin, all too aware of the external pressure to which referees can now be subjected. 'That's not good, that's not fair, and that's not right, so we've got to support these guys.' World Rugby's chairman, Brett Robinson, is similarly concerned and says Nic Berry, the referee whose performance was criticised by the Springboks coach, Rassie Erasmus, on the previous Lions tour in 2021, is still suffering from the after-effects. 'Nic Berry is a mate of mine from Brisbane and he got absolutely hammered in the last Lions series in South Africa,' said Robinson. 'You talk to Nic today and he is still incredibly scarred by the abuse and trolling that happened to him. This [latest episode] reinforces why we have to protect our officials. The sport needs to respect them. Without these people turning up every week we don't have a game.' World Rugby has no plans to release the outcome of their post-game review but Schmidt is set to avoid any sanction for his comments despite publicly suggesting that failing to penalise Morgan for making contact with the neck of Carlo Tizzano undermined the game's stated aim of prioritising player welfare. 'I think it is disappointing when the reaction is, 'this means player welfare isn't taken seriously', because we have worked really hard on that narrative,' said Gilpin. 'Everyone knows we are putting player welfare, in its broadest sense, at the top of the agenda. 'I think Joe ... there's a lot of emotion, understandably. The Wallabies had a chance to win an amazing Test match [and] Joe's comments have continued to respect the fact that the match officials have got a tough job to do. He might disagree with the decisions that were made, but I don't think he's called the integrity of our match officials into question.' Gilpin confirmed, however, that the outcome of the review process would not be made public despite widespread public interest. 'We won't talk publicly about that decision. The decision's happened, the game's finished, we'll move on. [But] we'll share with Joe and the coaching team why the match official has made that decision. Joe's got a view about what was wrong with that decision and there'll be a debate about that, so that Joe and his players can go into the next Test understanding how that game's going to be officiated. Sign up to The Breakdown The latest rugby union news and analysis, plus all the week's action reviewed after newsletter promotion 'We are reviewing the way the game is officiated and played all the time. We'll continue to work really hard with the match officials group to get consistency in the way key areas are officiated and, hopefully, that provides clarity to players and coaches. But like in any high-level sport, coaches are always looking for an edge with their teams, and we respect that.' World Rugby also say they are still awaiting further details regarding the mooted R360 rebel league, whose backers are currently attempting to woo the world's leading players. 'Investment into the game is great – as long as that investment is driving into the right areas,' said Gilpin. 'If it is creating a more financially sustainable game for players and for the wider ecosystem then we encourage it. We've got to understand what that means in the R360 case.' He is also hopeful that an update regarding the new Nations Cup tournament set to commence in 2026 will finally be forthcoming next month. 'We're at the stage now where for a competition that's going to start next July we've got to get this thing nailed down,' Gilpin said. Organisers of the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia, meanwhile, have released details of their ticketing programme, starting with the launch next week of a limited number of 'Superfan passes'. In total the organisers say more than 2.5m tickets will be available for the expanded 24-team tournament, the highest number in history.
Sydney Morning Herald
2 days ago
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
Mouthguard data reveals Tizzano copped ‘high magnitude' impact at MCG
Asked about the Gilpin comments later on Tuesday, in an interview with Stan Sport's Lions Central, Schmidt leapt to the defence of Tizzano, who has labelled a diver by sections of the British media and Lions fans. 'I just heard the end of it [Gilpin's press conference] then because we'd just finished training, but talking about the instrumental mouthguards, with Carlo when he was hit, I feel sorry for him because I think he's copping a lot of flak, but that impact was almost double what they determine as a high magnitude impact,' Schmidt said. 'So that's the degree of force that he had to wear I suppose, and that in itself is enough to force someone to recoil as he did. So those are some of the things that we get actual readings on. 'He's had a pretty sore neck for the last 24-48 hours, but he's back, he's resilient, and he's back looking forward to the weekend.' Instrumented mouthguards (IMGs) were funded and rolled out globally by World Rugby last year to all players in elite competitions, and data is captured when players' heads are subjected to forces that, if high enough, can alert game day doctors to assess a player for a potential concussion. Tizzano received treatment for his neck at the MCG but the reading did not trigger an HIA. 'Just in terms of protecting Carlo, I think it's just probably getting the information out there that that level of force causes a chain reaction. That's the equation,' Schmidt said. 'That impact was almost double what they determine as a high magnitude impact.' Joe Schmidt on the Carlo Tizzano clear-out World Rugby will deliver the findings of the referee review to the teams, but not make it public, Gilpin said. Part of the reasoning, Gilpin said, is to protect Piardi and the match officials, given online abuse has in recent years had mental health consequences for referees, and even seen their families threatened. Schmidt would not face consequences for his post-match comments, Gilpin said. 'There's a lot of emotion, understandably,' Gilpin said. 'Joe's comments have continued to respect the fact that the match officials have got a tough job to do. He might disagree with the decisions that were made, but I don't think he's called the integrity of our match officials into question.' Robinson said match officials go through an extensive review process, and like players, and can face consequences for future appointments. 'Our team will have looked at the match and looked at, you know, there are always going to be things that don't work properly and there are going to be things that do,' he said. 'Ultimately, the referees are accountable. So I think there's a sort of a sense that they're not. You know, on the basis of performance over time, referees move up the rankings and they move down. They get picked for Test matches or they don't.' But Robinson also emphasised the need for WR to support whistleblowers, citing Nic Berry being slammed publicly by Rassie Erasmus in the 2021 Lions tour of South Africa. 'Nic got absolutely hammered, and hammered publicly. And you talk to Nic today and that's something he's still recovering from,' he said. 'So I take a real responsibility for protecting referees.' Loading Revealing the ticketing program for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, RA and World Rugby – the joint organisers – revealed there would be one million tickets available for $100, as part of a drive to make the tournament as affordable and accessible as possible. With an extra four teams in the tournament, a record 2.5 million tickets will be sold, with adults starting at $40 and children at $20. A limited number of new Superfan passes will also be sold next month, which guarantee four tickets to any match including the final.
South Wales Guardian
2 days ago
- Sport
- South Wales Guardian
World Rugby rebuffs Joe Schmidt's safety claim over Lions' match-winning try
Hugo Keenan touched down with 51 seconds left at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, but the match-winning try was only given after the TMO had reviewed Morgan's contact with Carlo Tizzano in the preceding ruck, which was ultimately deemed legal by referee Andrea Piardi. Furious Schmidt, who had seen his Wallabies edged 29-26 to concede the series with one Test to play, insisted it was the wrong call, adding that 'it doesn't really live up to the big player safety push that they (World Rugby) are talking about'. Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh backed Schmidt's view that it was a dangerous clearout and the try should have been disallowed. World Rugby has been conducting a review into the incident in conjunction with Australia, the Lions and the match officials, which will be completed in time for Saturday's final Test between the rivals in Sydney. Chief executive Alan Gilpin, speaking at an event revealing ticketing details for the 2027 World Cup, has hit back at Schmidt. 'It's disappointing when the reaction is one of 'this means player welfare isn't taken seriously' because we have worked really hard on that narrative,' said Gilpjn, who revealed Schmidt will not face disciplinary action for his comments. 'Everyone knows we are putting player welfare, in its broadest sense, at the top of the agenda. 'You can see that from what we are doing with the instrumented mouthguards, all the research, the science, the investigations. 'The way the laws of the game have evolved in the last few years is all about 'how do we have this great physical contest, but make it as safe as possible?'. That part is challenging, in terms of the player welfare statements.' Gilpin insists Piardi and his assistants Ben O'Keeffe and Nika Amashukeli are being supported amid the backlash against the officials in some quarters. And the World Rugby boss invoked Rassie Erasmus' public criticism of Nic Berry during the Lions' tour to South Africa in 2021 and the experiences of retired referee Wayne Barnes, who has spoken of the abuse his family received, to highlight the importance of protecting officials. 'It's just making them realise they're supported and that we are checking in on them. They're a great unit. They've been together on this tour as a team,' Gilpin said. 'You'll recall that in the last Lions series in South Africa, when the match official in the first Test was very heavily criticised…the mental health challenges… 'Wayne Barnes has talked about it. We've got match officials who, when they're criticised publicly, see their families targeted outside the school gates. 'That's not good, that's not fair and that's not right, so we've got to support these guys.' Australia 2027 has released details of its ticketing plan for the next World Cup, with fans able to register to access the presale from Tuesday.
