World Rugby chief slams safety criticism from Joe Schmidt

World Rugby chief has hit back at the Wallabies' criticism of match officials, warning that public attacks on referees can lead to ‘vile’ targeting of their families.

You can now listen to The Australian's articles. Give us your feedback.

You can now listen to The Australian's articles.

World Rugby boss Alan Gilpin has shut down Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt’s concerns the game was neglecting “player safety” by allowing the British & Irish Lions’ series-deciding try to stand in the second Test.

Gilpin told The Australian he believes Schmidt was caught up in the “heat of the moment” when he claimed the decision not to penalise Jac Morgan for his cleanout on Wallaby Carlo Tizzano in the lead-up to the Lions’ 79th-minute try, scored by fullback Hugo Keenan, went against the sport’s “push for player safety”.

In Gilpin’s first public comments on Schmidt’s statement and Australian chief Phil Waugh’s call for “accountability”, delivered in the wake of the Wallabies’ heartbreaking loss in Melbourne, the World Rugby chief told The Australian he believes the coach “knows well” player safety is of the utmost importance to the code.

Wallabies captain Harry Wilson speaks to referee Andrea Piardi at the MCG Picture: Getty Images

Gilpin said he believes the intensity of the situation overcame a number of people who claimed Tizzano was illegally struck on the back of the neck by Morgan. Schmidt took an “unfortunate position” on the issue, he added.

“This is a very heat-of-the-moment set of comments from people – I mean, Joe knows well because he worked with World Rugby that player safety is top of the agenda all the time,” Gilpin said ahead of Australia’s attempt to avoid a series whitewash when they face the Lions at Accor Stadium in Sydney on Saturday night.

“We’re adapting laws to make sure player safety is at the top of the agenda. We’re leading the global sporting landscape in terms of our use of technology.

“Every player on the field is wearing an instrumented mouthguard [to measure velocity of hits]. The research, the science, the investment that goes behind that from World Rugby is massive. I think that’s an unfortunate position to take.”

“Having said, that we’ve got a physical sport with a really complex set of laws, and so that there are constantly incidents where player safety and match officiating are coming together. We’ve just got to continue as a sport to work hard, to evolve and make the game as safe as possible while still being rugby.”

Gilpin also pointedly spoke about protecting the referees’ welfare and said this week he had “reminded a few people” of the last Lions tour in South Africa, where Australian official Nic Berry was subjected to abuse in 2021 after his handling of the first Test. Rugby Australia came out in defence of Berry after South Africa’s director of rugby Rassie Erasmus posted an hour-long video berating the referee’s rulings.

“We know when there is public criticism of referees from within the game, it allows fans who want to be pretty vile to jump on board of that, we’ve seen referees in the past have their families targeted, their kids in school targeted and I’ve reminded a few people in the last few days, of the last Lions tour in South Africa, where we had a very controversial issue,” Gilpin said at the launch of the World Cup 2027 ticketing program.

“In that case the referee Nic Berry was Australian. And if anyone wants to know what it feels like to be in that moment and that pressure and to be criticised that way, and the impact that it has on your mental health and family, ask Nic or ask (fellow Australian referee) Angus Gardner, so we’ve got to take that really seriously.”

It’s understood World Rugby and Rugby Australia have had lengthy dialogue about the penalty and arising issues since the conclusion of the series-deciding game won 29-26 by the Lions – with player safety at the centre of the debate.

World Rugby, who are in their fifth year of a legal battle with more than 700 players who claim they were left brain-damaged by the game, have implemented numerous measures to strengthen player-safety including limiting contact in training, rule changes to tackling and instrumented mouthguards to measure hits. They are now considering stipulating all players should have a minimum of 12 weeks without physical contact every year.

Australian rugby boss Phil Waugh told The Australian on Sunday he wanted to see “accountability” from World Rugby around the decision by Italian referee Andrea Piardi not to award the penalty.

The night before, a frustrated Schmidt spoke frankly about his assessment of the call in the final minute of the game.

“Players make errors, match officials make errors,” Schmidt said. “Our perspective is we felt it was a decision that doesn’t really live up to the big player-safety push that they’re talking about.

“You cannot hit someone above the level of their shoulders and there’s no bind with the left arm, the hand’s on the ground. That’s what we’ve seen, we’ve watched a number of replays from different angles. It is what it is, we just have to accept it.”

Schmidt said it was a “tough one to take” and you have to “read law 9.20” to understand why it should have been a penalty.

Law 9.20 states: “A player must not charge into a ruck or maul without binding onto another player.” It also states that “making contact above the line of the shoulders with an opponent is a dangerous play and is prohibited.”

Meanwhile, the public criticism aimed at World Rugby’s referees remains a troubling issue in the game.

In 2021 Rugby Australia criticised what it termed abuse of referee Berry when Erasmus

used 26 clips in his video critique of the match officials’ performance in the opening Test, which the Lions won 22-17. Berry was accused of not showing Bok captain Siya Kolisi the same respect as his Lions counterpart Alun Wyn Jones.

After being criticised by the coach, Berry was also subjected to a barrage of online abuse.

Gardner has previously faced online abuse and criticism, leading him to withdraw from officiating duties in the past.

The Television Match Official in the most recent World Cup final, Englishman Tom Foley, subsequently stepped away from the sport due to increasing levels of online abuse. In that 2023 final, All Blacks captain Sam Cane’s yellow card was upgraded to a red card after a bunker review, unlocking a torrent of online abuse.

Gilpin reiterated referee safety was World Rugby’s priority.

“That’s why we are always really straightforward about; we’re not going to come out publicly and talk about individual referee decisions,” Gilpin said. “We’re not going to talk about referee match performance. That doesn’t mean there’s not accountability, that accountability goes on in those private meetings.

“Every match of international rugby has a review, and … the accountability comes if referees are falling below the standard that is needed and expected of them – and that affected their selection for future matches.”

The referees were also subjected to intense criticism with lead Stan commentator and former Wallaby Morgan Turinui slamming the decision. Turinui demanded an explanation from World Rugby’s head of referees who he claimed was in Australia “on a junket”.

“The referee got it wrong,” Turinui said on Stan Sport. “His two assistant referees got it wrong. Joel Jutge, the head of the referees, is out here on a junket. He needs to haul those referees in and ask for a please explain.”

In response, Gilpin simply said the referees are “here to do their jobs”.

While the Wallabies are facing a dead rubber on Saturday night, the rugby boss praised their fight on the field. He believes that game will help generate excitement for the upcoming World Cup, at the launch World Rugby announced fans can register for presale tickets on rugbyworldcup.com/2027 from July 29.