JOHANNESBURG — Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus has voiced his confusion over World Rugby’s brand-new referee communication protocols, revealing that strict new policies have prevented the Springboks from holding a single pre-match meeting with officials during their current Test campaign.
While South Africa’s coaching department has made strides to improve its relationship with match officials—even hiring former international referee Jaco Peyper as a full-time national laws advisor—these rigid, newly implemented rules have essentially locked down traditional lines of communication.
The Joint-Agreement Rule: No One-on-One Pre-Match Calls
Under World Rugby’s updated pre-match protocol, individual coaches are no longer allowed to schedule alignment meetings with a referee in private.
Instead, a strict “all or nothing” policy has been introduced:
Erasmus explained how this has directly disrupted the Boks’ preparation:
“How it works now is the referee for the day will email you asking if you want a meeting, and if both coaches do not say yes, then you don’t have a meeting. If both coaches say yes, then you meet together with the referee.”
“We haven’t had a meeting with a referee because one of the coaches hasn’t said yes. I don’t 100% understand the logic behind it, although I am not criticizing them because they have communicated it to us.”
The Public Six-Clip Rule: Post-Match Critiques are Now Public
The restrictions do not stop at kickoff. World Rugby has also completely overhauled the post-match review system.
Coaches were previously allowed to submit comprehensive video feedback to referees to highlight missed calls or clarify interpretations. Now, World Rugby has capped and exposed the entire review pipeline:
- Strict Limit: Coaches can only submit a maximum of six video comments per match.
- Zero Privacy: Any clips uploaded to the portal are instantly visible to every international coach and match official worldwide.
Looking back on his infamous, hour-long video critique during the 2021 British & Irish Lions series, Erasmus noted how these rules have completely altered the coaching landscape:
“Now, if you have a query, you can only load up to six comments onto the system, but everyone can see it now—all the other coaches and referees.”
“It is now almost impossible to criticise a referee because if you have 12 things that bother you, you either have to sit with the other coach and the referee, or you have to put up comments that everyone can see.”
The Springboks will need to quickly adapt to these quiet channels as they prepare to face Wales this Saturday, with referee Andrew Brace taking the whistle at the Mbombela Stadium.
