It all started when BRU rejected an affiliation request by members of the Eagles Rugby Referees Society, which led to the majority of the referees not being part of the league. Coaches raised complaints against referees accusing them of unfair decisions. There are calls for the BRU to restructure the referees department and allow officials to have an association. The argument within rugby is that it is vital to train the coaches and referees. The BRU secretary-general, Osi Kopano said over the past two weeks, incidents involving disruptions and unsportsmanlike behaviour during matches have highlighted the urgent need for collective reflection and corrective action.
“The meeting is meant to discuss the state of the game. We have recently had clashes between officials and teams to the extent where one team even walked away. So, we are trying to intervene and get everyone on the same page and remind them about the values of the game,” Kopano said. Regarding the state of the league, Kopano said it is proceeding as planned. He said they have packaged it to sell the league and they want to make it as attractive as possible to everyone, particularly sponsors. “But with every competition, you will always get differing opinions, which might lead to loggerheads and sometimes unfortunate events like walking off,” he said. Kopano said protests do happen in a game of rugby but they want to sit down to make sure the sport is where it is supposed to be. “The game is bigger than all of us and we need to make it better for the next person,” he added.
