RFU feared abuse and threats would drive Rugby World Cup final ref out of game
RFU feared abuse and threats would drive Rugby World Cup final ref out of game
The final Englishman to oversee the most important rugby union match discusses his worries in 2007 that Wayne Barnes might stop officiating.
“I really believed that the experience would make him withdraw from the game. And at the RFU, I wasn’t the only one who felt that way. We were all really worried.
The only other Englishman to officiate a World Cup final was afraid that Wayne Barnes’s death threats from the last French staging of the competition would disqualify him from officiating. Today, twenty-eight years after Ed Morrison officiated the 1995 rugby world cup final between these two giants, Barnes will take command of the pivotal match between New Zealand and South Africa.
According to Morrison, Barnes is deserving of this distinction because he is the “best in the business” and has demonstrated strong moral integrity in just his second year as an International
The Gloucester-born attorney endured horrible abuse after being held accountable by irate Kiwi supporters for New Zealand’s shocking quarterfinal loss to France in 2007.
Morrison stated: “I really believed that experience would make him withdraw from the game. And at the RFU, I wasn’t the only one who felt that way. We were all rather worried.
“Being harassed by anonymous individuals isn’t even close to amusing, and Wayne felt so threatened by these threats. We were worried about losing a gifted individual.
When South Africa and New Zealand last faced off in the Rugby World Cup final in 1995, Ed Morrison blows his whistle to conclude the match.
“Obviously, from the standpoint of the referee, we united behind him, and he was unsure of himself. His perseverance was quite admirable. Beneath his attractive, serene demeanor, he is a very powerful person.
He had to be once again the previous year, after South Africa’s defeat to France in Marseille, when supporters of that country attacked not just him but also his wife and kids.
He subsequently said, “There started to be some direct abuse at Polly, my wife.” “Then, over the course of the next two or three days, Polly was subjected to physical abuse, threats of sexual assault, and threats against the children.
That elevates it to a new plane. After playing 100 games, you believe you are ready for most situations. It is impossible to prepare for.
These days, it’s all too typical to experience online harassment and social media bullying, as Tom Curry discovered this week—and not at his own expense.
In the history of South Africa after apartheid, which Archbishop Desmond Tutu nicknamed the Rainbow Nation, the 1995 final was a historic event. He was under a lot of strain.
Morrison stated, “Rugby is bigger than the game, bigger than sport, in New Zealand and South Africa.” It’s more of a way of life than a religion.
“My memories of 1995 center on Nelson Mandela and his impact during that time. I was simply informed that there would be a presentation, not that he would be making an appearance on the pitch. The first thing I noticed was a little person gently making its way down the tube while wearing a green shirt. I knew who it was only when I heard the audience go berserk.That will always stick in my mind