WATCH: Referee Wayne Barnes reveals abuse he received after World Cup final

WATCH: Referee Wayne Barnes reveals abuse he received after World Cup final

Retired referee Wayne Barnes has opened up about the social media abuse he received after the Rugby World Cup final.

Wayne Barnes

Veteran referee Wayne Barnes discusses the mistreatment rugby officials endure.

A few days after leading the Springboks to a 12-11 victory over the All Blacks in the Paris final on October 28, Barnes announced his retirement. Three yellow cards were given throughout the match, while New Zealand captain Sam Cane received one red card during the first half. The contest was not without controversy.

BBC sports editor Dan Roan questioned Barnes about receiving harassment following the final in an exclusive interview.

Indeed, it’s the depressing aspect of the sport right now, Barnes admitted. It’s part of the job for all of us to hear people disagree with our decisions and to receive criticism.

“But when people make threats of violence against you, against your wife, your kids, threats of sexual violence, threats of saying ‘we know where you live’ – that crosses a line and that’s where people should be held to account. And also should be punished.”

Red card in final a referee first

Barnes has officiated at five World Cups and overseen a record 111 Test matches. He issued the first red card in World Cup history after Cane’s head-contact tackle yellow card was upgraded in the bunker.

Even though the All Blacks outplayed the Springboks and played like 15 men, many people thought the referee’s call was very important. In his first interview following his retirement announcement, Barnes discussed the backlash he saw following the championship game and expressed his belief that harassment on social media was becoming worse overall.

“It is my goal to ensure that social media abuse is given more serious attention once I retire,” Barnes stated.

“[Referees] will ask themselves, ‘Why do I do this?’ if they are going to face this vitriol and ridicule every week. We must perform better. People fail to recognize the human aspect of officiating.

Family threats

The 44-year-old claims that his main purpose on social media is to publicize his charitable endeavors, but he also uses it to advocate officiating, highlight how challenging the job is, and humanize it. “It’s my decision, and it gives others the opportunity to spread hateful and violent messages.” Barnes claimed that while he could “compartmentalize” the bad aspects of social media, he found it difficult to deal with abuse directed at his family. “Why should you be allowed to be involved in the rugby family if you’re a fan at your local rugby club and you’re making threats and sending nasty messages to people’s families?” he said.

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