In a candid revelation, Nigel Owens, a renowned former rugby referee, has voiced concerns regarding his ability to find pleasure in officiating a modern-day match.
The Welshman attributes this unease to the game’s ever-increasing technical intricacies and complexities in its current state.
Speaking to a radio station in New Zealand, Owens said: “I don’t think I could, or I don’t think I’d like to, referee the game as it is now because it’s far too technical for me. I just like to let the players get on with it, you know, just blow the whistle when you really have to.
“Everybody involved, I think, with the game is struggling with the consistencies around outcomes of some decisions, particularly around foul play and head-contact type of decisions. But, you know, if you look at the whole refereeing of the tournament, so far there certainly hasn’t been a big outcry.”
Before the Six Nations, the Welshman discussed a number of changes he’d make to how the game is currently being refereed at the highest level…
Nigel Owen’s law changes:
#1. Less TMO
Owens wrote: “We should aim for good performances that facilitate good games. In my opinion, perfect has become the enemy of the good because people are striving for a standard that is unachievable. A frustrating over-reliance on the TMO is one result of this fear of getting things wrong.
“Pressure is being exerted on referees by spectators, social media users, coaches, players, performance reviewers and referee managers. That is a lot of people scrutinising everything. I think we need to take a step back and make sure we pick up the things that matter.”
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