The outrage and criticism over the decision to rescind Owen Farrell’s red card against Wales has been misdirected, something Planet Rugby writer James While wishes to rectify.
Rarely have we seen rugby fans, pundits and ex-players as united on social media and elsewhere as we have done so in the recent overturning of Farrell’s red card.
However, in all of the opprobrium that’s been flying around, it’s helpful to get the process, organisation and procedures correct.
Since the rescinding of the red card, most of the social media outrage has been directed randomly at both England Rugby and World Rugby, neither of whom are remotely responsible for the Independent Disciplinary Panel’s decision.
The facts of the matter are:
1. The warm-ups are administered by Six Nations Rugby Ltd.(SNR)
2. The Independent Panel is appointed and administered by SNR from the approved list of World Rugby adjudicators in these matters, and is relevant ONLY to the World Rugby (WR) regulations. World Rugby’s responsibilities start and end here.
3. Six Nations Rugby have not yet published the hearing transcripts.
4. As a matter of course, SNR does not habitually publish hearing transcripts (the only governing body not to) but have occasionally, in the past, released them upon requests from journalists.
5. World Rugby have the right of appeal against Farrell’s sanction, but they will not do so until they have the facts of the hearing transcript.
So while World Rugby govern the game, in this instance, they are subservient to the governing body of the match, which in this instance is SNR.
For the record, Planet Rugby, alongside many broadsheet, tabloid and online news organisations, have reached out to SNR to request the transcripts and have, as of the time of publishing, been told it is not their policy, although we understand there’s a discussion around this specific case due to the public feeling about the outcome. Planet Rugby also understands that at this moment in time, SNR themselves do not have the full transcript and are awaiting the signed-off document, which should arrive shortly.
To continually blame World Rugby in this instance is to bring further opacity to an already opaque situation.
🧐 I’m struggling to see the ‘sudden and significant change in direction’ in Basham’s carry from George’s actions that would really result in Owen Farrell making a dangerous tackle here
He is launching from the start and making a bad tackle regardless.
A precedent has been set. pic.twitter.com/bBhCTJfEwT
— Jared Wright (@jaredwright17) August 15, 2023
There’s a need for absolute accuracy and clarity in this unusual situation, and put bluntly, the fans and pundits missing this point may as well shout at NATO or the FSB as World Rugby themselves, despite the undoubted good intentions to correct an obviously contentious outcome from the SNR panel.
The game needs cleaning up
Planet Rugby understands that World Rugby will give due consideration to an appeal upon sight of the correct documents (the hearing transcript) as they would in any other contentious judicial hearing.
In the case of England Rugby and the RFU, to criticise them for trying to ensure the availability of their own assets is risible; in addition, the appointment of the Legal Council means, under SRA (Solicitors Regulatory Authority) that he or she must at all times act in the best interests of their client, in this instance, Owen Farrell. So again, blaming the RFU is a little bit of a leap of faith.
The game needs cleaning up, and it needs outcome consistency; that’s a given, but knowing the people who do that sweeping and polishing is key and shouting loudly at them when the blame is with the people who made the mess in the first place is simply not helping this delicate and controversial situation.
In this instance, sniper’s bullets aimed at the correct target will prove a lot more effective than wild blunderbusses of opprobrium fired aimlessly in the path of random rugby officials.
READ MORE: ‘F**k this’ – Pacific Island players slam Farrell verdict after George Moala’s hefty ban
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