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Top referee Wayne Barnes considered quitting after suffering serious abuse – including threats of sexual violence’ aimed at his wife – following the Springboks loss to France last month.
In the wake of France’s 30-26 win, Springboks’ Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus went on social media to criticise the officiating and was banned for two weeks.
After the match Barnes, an English lawyer who recently brought up his 100th Test in charge, was subjected to sustained online abuse.
He told The Good, The Bad and The Rugby podcast there were also threats directed at his children.
“That is the world we live in. That is social media. But I make the decision to be a referee, make the decision to be on social media. Polly, my wife, doesn’t make the decision to be a referee.
“On the Saturday night, there started to be some direct abuse at Polly. Then, the following two or three days, there was direct abuse to Polly, threats of sexual violence and threats against the kids.
“That takes it to a different level. When you’ve done 100 games, you think you can prepare for most things. You can’t prepare for that. It’s been a shit couple of weeks.”
Barnes said criticism came with the job but shouldn’t involve his family.
“I sacrifice, but it’s a family sacrifice and you do think, ‘I’ve got this other decent job to go to. I’m a partner at a law firm and they’re keen for me to come back fulltime’,” he said.
“Of course you question it, and that’s a constant conversation you have with your family.”
He refereed his 100th Test in the All Blacks’ visit to Wales in November, and he has refereed more than 250 English Premiership games.
Outspoken English rugby writer Stephen Jones said Erasmus was to blame for the abuse levelled at Barnes.
Kurtley Beale will be the subject of a special documentary to be shown on Stan Sport on Thursday, where he details the ups and downs from his career and hopes for the 2023 World Cup campaign.
Stan’s partner Wide World of Sports has been given early access to the doco and chose to focus on Beale’s battle with alcohol abuse in 2013 in their preview story.
He was at the Rebels at the time and checked himself into rehab after an incident in South Africa when Beale struck teammates Cooper Vuna and Gareth Delve.
“I checked myself into rehab. It came off the back end of the Rebels, me getting in a stink with one of the other players,” Beale says.
“I made a bit of a porkchop of myself and absolutely deserved every sanction and everything like that. It was the time there where things weren’t going right for me. I had to get help.
Kurtley Beale poses for a photo during the Wallabies Indigenous Jersey Launch at the Jellurgal Aboriginal Cultural Centre on July 04, 2022 in Gold Coast, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
“With the support going back to my pillars, they pretty much said ‘Maybe let’s go down this route and try find yourself a bit.’ It was pretty tough.
“You think as a young kid you know everything, right? You know everything. I always see it as it’s all learnings. It’s a time for growth and I found that period really helpful because it was all about reconnecting with my identity because I lost it.
“I didn’t know who I was. When you don’t have that sense of who you are and that attachment of yourself then you lose yourself by not staying true to yourself.”
Beale was allowed to play against the British and Irish Lions after rehab but he famously slipped while taking a match defining kick in Brisbane.
“I was very lucky to be picked in that Lions squad after that,” he said.
“I felt good and everything, but the way the games went on, it wasn’t the best.
“Again, they’re all kind of learnings, you’ve just got to accept it and then move on from that.”
Former Wallabies prop Al Baxter has given a fascinating insight into the methods of sacked England coach Eddie Jones, as the rugby world waits on the veteran’s next move.
Baxter got his Wallabies debut under Jones in 2003.
“Pretty intimidating. He’s massively intense,” Baxter said of his first meeting with Jones in an interview with Code Sports.
“He’s excellent at working out what drives certain players,” Baxter added.
“What drove a Stephen Larkham is different to what drove a Phil Waugh and was different to what drove a George Smith.
“He was good at working that out. Sometimes he got it wrong, but generally he was able to get the best out of players.
“He basically outworks other coaches.
“He was big on working out who was the best in the world, from a team point of view, and from a positional point of view, and then working out – or reverse engineering – what made them so good, and demanding our players work out similar strategies.
“When I was playing, Carl Hayman was probably the best number three in the world, so it was working out what Carl was doing that I wasn’t doing, and what could I bring to the table that maybe he couldn’t.
“It was that kind of thought in and outside of the game, about what you could do to become number one as a team and as an individual.”
Baxter said Jones was excellent at tqapping into each player’s motivation.
“For a fair majority of players, it’s about making your family proud – that type of thing,” said Baxter.
“Other players are driven by pure competition and wanting to win, so for some players, he put people head-to-head, because he knew they were competitive and that’s how to get the best out of them.
“For me, it was who I’m playing for and who I’m making proud, then during the week it was refocusing on the little things.
“He was very good at getting that out of me and a lot of other players.”
He also praised Jones’ attention to detail.
“You’d be on the field with Eddie and he’d be able to pick up a whole lot of small things which you’d think are inconsequential, but when added up, they turn into big things,” Baxter says.
“If you get all those little one percenters fixed, suddenly you get a whole lot better.
“All of that is what makes him a good coach, but on the flipside that level of detail and the intensity can wear people out.
“Certainly I know at the end of a season under Eddie I was mentally shattered because it was so massively intense.
“There’s a certain level of intensity you can hold for a while, but there needs to be a greater off period when you have a massive period of intensity.”
Liz Patu, the Wallaroos legend and most-capped player, has today announced her retirement from the Australian team.
Patu, with 33 Test matches under her belt, is the most-capped Wallaroo in the team’s history, having made her debut in 2014 in New Zealand, against the host side.
Wallaroo Number 120, she began her Rugby career playing for the Wests Bulldogs in Queensland in 2009 at the age of 20.
Despite her retirement from the international stage, Patu will continue to represent the Queensland Reds in the Buildcorp Super W competition in 2023.
“My decision to retire has come from a variety of factors, but ultimately, I’d like to take time for myself and my mental health,” Liz said.
“I’m so grateful to the friends, family and coaches that have supported me throughout my rugby career.
“It means the world to me, as a player of Pacific Islander descent, to be able to finish my Wallaroos career as the most-capped player and honour those who have gone before me.
“I hope to continue my involvement with Rugby through pursuing coaching opportunities and playing Super W.”
Wallabies prop Allan Alaalatoa has been recognised for his services on the off the field, winning the 2022 RUPA Medal for Excellence.
It is the second time the Brumbies skipper has taken out the honour, voted on by Super Rugby players within Australia. he also won in 2019.
“It’s a huge honour to receive this award,” Alaalatoa said in a statement.
“It is a privilege understanding a lot of players across Australia have both for me so it’s a great honour.
“It’s something that I am truly humbled by.”
Charlie Gamble was runner up.
Western Force new recruit Michael Wells won the RUPA Academic Award after been admitted into the Supreme Court of NSW after completing a Bachelor of Commerce with a Bachelor of Laws Practice Legal Training.
Liam Wright won the RUPA Community Award.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.