DECLARATIONS
For New Zealand television, Steve Hansen returned to the refereeing of the World Cup final and wants a radical decision.
Zapping Fifteen World
Rugby World Cup 2023 – Calendar
Assistant coach (2004-2011) then All Blacks coach (2011-2019), Steve Hansen led New Zealand to two consecutive world titles. A remarkable achievement in 2015, but now matched by South Africa, the reigning double world champion since last Saturday. The former head of the team was undoubtedly glued to his television screen, closely following the intense and closely contested final, which was marred by several controversial refereeing decisions. After the match, All Blacks coach Ian Foster shared his thoughts on the matter: “I don’t think Barnes should be blamed for that. But our sport has a problem, related to the decisions we want to be able to review, and that’s what saddens me about this final.”
“It’s time to move away from video refereeing”
A few days later, Steve Hansen, his predecessor, spoke to Sky Sports New Zealand. He also expressed his concerns about the current issues with refereeing and called for a complete overhaul of video assistance.
“Rugby is now refereed in slow motion, and it is time to remove video refereeing from situations where the referee wants to check the validity of a try. Another thing, the video referee only intervenes when something has been missed. When the referee makes a mistake, we no longer hear from him. Ardie’s case is a perfect example. I don’t care if the referee didn’t see it in slow motion, I did. Ardie clearly released the player and should have been awarded a penalty, not penalized.”
The 64-year-old former coach refers to a penalty called early in the match against Ardie Savea for not releasing the South African player before contesting. In the slow motion replay, it is evident that the New Zealand number 8 was compliant with the action.
To sum up
Steve Hansen, the former coach of the All Blacks from 2011 to 2019, expressed his dissatisfaction with certain refereeing decisions during the World Cup final. According to him, video refereeing needs to be reviewed and several changes need to be made.
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One Response
Steve Hansen’s call for an overhaul of video refereeing after the Rugby World Cup final is not only justified but necessary. The inconsistencies and questionable decisions made throughout the tournament have tarnished the sport’s credibility. It’s time to address the flaws and ensure fairness for all teams involved.