Referees withdraw from Wellington club rugby over ongoing abuse

Wellington referees say ongoing abuse has forced them to withdraw from this weekend's club rugby games across the region.

In a statement, Wellington Rugby Referees Association (WRRA) President and Chair, Ben Van Berkel, said it had told the Wellington Rugby Union (WRFU) last week that if any further referee abuse was reported this season, it would not appoint referees to games the following weekend.

Van Berkel said after three further incidents of referee abuse on Saturday the WRRA has advised WRFU that "no referees will be appointed to games" this weekend (10-12 July).

The move is expected to result in the cancellation of all club rugby in the capital this weekend, although the final decision rests with the WRFU, which RNZ has approached for comment.

The WRRA has received 19 reports of verbal abuse towards referees in Wellington this season, which Van Berkel described as unacceptable.

The incidents have occurred across junior club rugby, secondary school rugby and senior club rugby. Van Berkel said the reports had not come solely from referees, with some submitted by members of the public.

He said the abuse has come from players, club and school volunteers and spectators.

"The WRRA continues, and will continue, to support Wellington Rugby but we have a duty and obligation to support and protect our members first and foremost."

Van Berkel said the decision to withdraw referees from this weekend's games was "not made lightly", but that the WRRA had been left with no other choice.

"Given the widespread nature of this continued abuse, we believe all reasonable options have been exhausted and need to take this stand to support and protect our members."

If the union is forced to cancel club rugby this weekend, it would be an unwelcome backdrop to Wellington hosting the All Blacks' Nations Championship test against Italy on Saturday night.

New Zealand Rugby said it supported the WRRA's call to withdraw referees' services from this weekend's games.

In a statement, NZR's General Manager Community Participation and Development, Mike Hester, said it was frustrating it had come to this.

"New Zealand Rugby is deeply disappointed that the actions of a small number of individuals during the community rugby season have led to the cancellation of this weekend's matches in Wellington.

"We fully support the decision of the Wellington Referees Executive Committee to prioritise the wellbeing of their officials."

Hester said referees were essential to the fairness, safety and standards of rugby, and while not every decision would please everyone, officials were doing their best and should never be subjected to intimidation.

"Abuse in any form has no place in our communities, whether at work, in study or in sport, and rugby is no exception. Our game is built on respect, and we all have a responsibility to protect and promote that principle."

Hester said NZR was working closely with provincial unions to monitor and address instances of abuse and said it would support any officials affected.

It is not the first time games have been cancelled due to referees abuse. Last year Horowhenua-Kāpiti postponed a round of club and college rugby after a referee officiating a college match between a local team and a visiting school "was subjected to serious verbal abuse and physical intimidation".

That cancellation came after another incident in which a referee in the region was threatened with being stabbed in a game.