International rugby union referees have a pretty tough gig.
It’s their job to officiate 30 players who are desperate to win in front of tens of thousands of supporters who complain and abuse you for every decision you make.
Yes, they’re probably well rewarded financially but is there another job in the world where you get as much abuse and scrutiny by so many people? Probably not.
In fairness, dissent in international rugby isn’t as big of a problem compared to something like football.
But who are the worst players to manage in rugby history?
Well, we’ve discovered quotes from six of the world’s finest officials down the years who told stories about trying to control some of football’s bad boys.
Interestingly, one name cropped up on three occasions…
Matthew Carley – Steve Borthwick
On Borthwick: “A difficult question. When I first started refereeing in the Premiership Steve Borthwick was one of the guys who was pretty intimidating.
“He saw that everything was on ‘his terms, whether you like it or not’. He had such presence. I think you learn how to deal with people like that as a ref, but Steve Borthwick, was as tough as they come.”
