File photo. Photo: Unsplash / Davide Buttani
The Horowhenua-Kāpiti Rugby Football Union (HKRFU) is considering cancelling games after a referee was threatened with being stabbed.
The union posted on social media that it was "deeply concerned about the escalating abuse directed at our referees, including recent incidents of verbal threats, threats of physical harm, including being stabbed, and actual physical abuse."
It said it had been decided that if there are were further instances of serious referee abuse, all senior club rugby across the region would be cancelled for one full weekend.
A Thames Valley v Horowhenua-Kāpiti match in 2022. File photo Photo: © Jason Bartley 2022 © Photosport Ltd 2022 / www.photosport.nz
HKRFU said the problem had reached a tipping point, and the "safety and well-being of our match officials must take absolute priority".
"This is not a decision we take lightly, but it is a necessary step to send a clear and unequivocal message, abuse will not be tolerated."
If cancelled, those games would be rescheduled for later in the season.
HKRFU chief executive Corey Kennett said the behaviour was "completely unacceptable" and "in direct opposition to the values of respect, safety, and integrity that underpin our great game".
He said the problem had been building.
"You've got to paint the landscape and this is not one weekend's activity. This is a culmination of the degradation of respect for match officials over a period of time," Kennett said.
"What it culminated in is referees being physically threatened, some physical abuse with a referee being struck with a piece of field equipment, and then one referee being threatened to be stabbed.
"We're just not going to walk past it. For us, the standard you walk past is the standard you accept, and so we're just not going to accept that."
Kennett said HKFRU are investigating the two incidents, both of which were at senior games, and the police are involved.
He's confident those responsible will be found.
"We've got ongoing investigations so I can't comment on exact detail, but we have a pretty good hit record on identification," Kennett said.
"Rugby's a pretty small and committed community, so it's rare for someone to be unidentified.
"When we do (identify them) we prosecute them to the full extent of what we can and we always see a fantastic response from member clubs in particular who support that wholeheartedly."
Horowhenua Kāpiti celebrate. Lochore Cup Final. 2018. Photo: John Cowpland/Photosport Ltd 2018
Kennett said the problem isn't confined to Horowhenua-Kāpiti.
"Absolutely. It's a country wide epidemic. In fact if we were to have a table of the worst cases of abuse, we're (HKRFU) far from the worst.
"But it doesn't stop the effect of what is happening. These volunteers that go out every week and enable the game to happen. They don't go along to watch. They don't go along to sit down and take it easy. They make the game happen.
"This game does not happen without them. They will leave their home, their family. They will take time off work. We're always short of referees and we will have them officiating in two to three games per day and sad fact is they could be abused at all three to various levels of abuse.
"We just need people to really have a look in the mirror and some of them need to give themselves an uppercut, but some of them need to think about what would you do if that's your family member, your husband, your wife, your son, your daughter. You know, what would you do? Are you going to walk past that standard or are you going to stand up and do something and that's what we need."
Kennett said referees are essential volunteers to the sport and deserve to officiate without fear of abuse or intimidation.
He said the abuse was disappointing but the response from clubs and others in the province had been heartwarming.
"We've had the whole of the rugby community agreed to this 100% unanimously, that we had to do something.
"The Rugby Referees Association have been incredibly thankful for the support and they've been involved in the process the whole way.
"What we're hoping is that we can get a combined approach and try and get this under control."
The Horowhenua-Kāpiti Rugby Referees Association said in a statement that it backed the union's decision to draw a line in the sand.
"We are thank full for the support we have received from the whole Rugby Community to address abuse.
"We very much appreciated being involved in the process and support fully the stance taken by the Horowhenua Kāpiti Rugby Union."
