Friday Funnies - Refs, it's dangerous out there
A rugby referee is the most watched, listened to, and continuously criticised man on the field at any given time. Thirty guys, all much bigger normally, hang onto his every move in anticipation of what game changing decision is coming next.
Not only do the men with the whistles have to deal with players moaning, coaches nitpicking, the media tearing them to pieces, and the reality of the job being at risk if they have an off day, but they also have to be extremely fit and get around the ground with the same speed as a top player who needs to be at every ruck.
We sometimes under-estimate how fit these ref's actually are, and that they have to go through stringent testing to get to the top level, and if they're not fit enough, they won't make it.
But as you can see here in this great little compilation video that was apparently thrown together by someone at the IRB, sometimes getting to the ruck and staying up with the action can be a little bit on the hazardous side. Perhaps it's safer for those old overweight ref's you at times see on school grounds. The ones who are never up with play and therefore stay out the danger zone, staying away from the contact situation up front.
Besides the bad collisions, notable funny clips here are Steve Walsh catching the ball in a test match, and Paddy O'Brien blowing the whistle from on the floor.
Enjoy, and the next time you play, spare a thought for the little guy out there who's doing his best to blow a good game, while at the same time avoid becoming a prop sandwich.
Time: 04:13
Not only do the men with the whistles have to deal with players moaning, coaches nitpicking, the media tearing them to pieces, and the reality of the job being at risk if they have an off day, but they also have to be extremely fit and get around the ground with the same speed as a top player who needs to be at every ruck.
We sometimes under-estimate how fit these ref's actually are, and that they have to go through stringent testing to get to the top level, and if they're not fit enough, they won't make it.
But as you can see here in this great little compilation video that was apparently thrown together by someone at the IRB, sometimes getting to the ruck and staying up with the action can be a little bit on the hazardous side. Perhaps it's safer for those old overweight ref's you at times see on school grounds. The ones who are never up with play and therefore stay out the danger zone, staying away from the contact situation up front.
Besides the bad collisions, notable funny clips here are Steve Walsh catching the ball in a test match, and Paddy O'Brien blowing the whistle from on the floor.
Enjoy, and the next time you play, spare a thought for the little guy out there who's doing his best to blow a good game, while at the same time avoid becoming a prop sandwich.
Time: 04:13
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32 Comments:
you missed out the one where chris white gets hit in the face during the world cup 2007!
By Anonymous, at May 23, 2008 12:30 pm
first comment
By Anonymous, at May 23, 2008 12:31 pm
Yeah there was also James Leckie getting a virtual knockout swinging arm from Craig Newby a couple of weeks ago, but hey, whatever isn't in this one can go in future compilations I guess.
Funny video. Been wanting to see that Steve Walsh catch again for a while now! Love the look on his face! lol
By Anonymous, at May 23, 2008 12:38 pm
classic vid.
Brilliant
By Anonymous, at May 23, 2008 12:39 pm
the head smack about 40 seconds in is pretty harsh if you're a player, let alone a ref!!!
did well to get straight up from that!
By Anonymous, at May 23, 2008 12:41 pm
Walsh was clearly eyeing up a spectacular drop goal, then realised he doesnt play anymore...
By Anonymous, at May 23, 2008 12:50 pm
left out lifeimi mafi nailing the ref for munster !! :D other then that brilliant stuff !
By Anonymous, at May 23, 2008 1:57 pm
very funny video - the best ref is at 0:50 - ref tackles a player from behind - lol
By Unknown, at May 23, 2008 2:17 pm
i forgot to say.....great to see refs laughing in those situations.. i am still laughing to the ref at 0:50 - he was on the other side and suddenly decides to tackle a player trying to kick the ball - LOL.....
By Unknown, at May 23, 2008 2:24 pm
To the ref's!!!!
By Anonymous, at May 23, 2008 2:51 pm
I think it's kenya playing but it looks like the referee actually tried to make the tackle
By Anonymous, at May 23, 2008 3:14 pm
i allways like it when the scrumhalves shoot the ref with the ball.
By sebastian, at May 23, 2008 4:39 pm
nice vid dus any one remenber in world cup 2007 when Andrew Trimble against france was about to make a break then the ref floored him as he was going through
By Anonymous, at May 23, 2008 4:48 pm
funny
By Don, at May 23, 2008 6:53 pm
Nice vid, good ref's often go unnoticed purely because they are able to keep such a fluid game going.
It's sometimes tough to remember that they are some of the biggest fans of the game themselves.
Cheers RD, again. . .
By Anonymous, at May 23, 2008 8:23 pm
funny haha...looked like half of them trying to play the game and committing fouls...hands in, offsides, not rolling away...
By Anonymous, at May 23, 2008 8:33 pm
My favorite has got to be the one where pitch instinct takes over and he catches the ball.
By Anonymous, at May 23, 2008 9:17 pm
great to see those refs who didn't get hurt laughing it off, part of why i love this game is the brilliant attitude of those involved, the look on the face of the ref blowing the whistle on the floor is priceless.
also the england prop bouncing off the ref is comedy gold.
By Anonymous, at May 23, 2008 9:22 pm
epic vid! Respect for how they take each set-back in their strides.
By Anonymous, at May 23, 2008 10:04 pm
brilliant
By Anonymous, at May 23, 2008 11:20 pm
in one of my club games during a scrum the ref went to the back of the scrum and crouched down to look in and practically binded onto the 8 man and pushed while he looking hahaha
By Anonymous, at May 24, 2008 12:41 am
That Gloucster player should have been cited for throwing the ref into an oncoming player. He split him open!!
By Unknown, at May 25, 2008 11:08 am
What about Mafi's hit on the ref in the magners league
By Anonymous, at May 25, 2008 11:36 am
the welsh+english+south africans love picking on the ref the most haha
luved that fella get smashed in the head
By Anonymous, at May 25, 2008 11:41 pm
wat about breyton paulse when he tackled the ref thinking it was a scottish player
that was recent aswel
By Anonymous, at May 25, 2008 11:43 pm
Seems as if this happens more often than ye'd think . . . .or were they just repeating clips :-P
Classic vid!
By Anonymous, at May 26, 2008 6:01 pm
whos ever walked into a scrum sandwich?? anyone? haha
By Anonymous, at July 27, 2008 11:43 pm
The Pumas (Argentina if you don't know) were beating Wales 29 to 6? They were beating South Africa? Either the Pumas were in a very good moment or South Africa in a very bad one. And I just loved when the ref in 0:40 ask for a replacement
By Anonymous, at August 07, 2008 7:53 pm
I agree Shane. Not only did he deliberately push the ref into the tackle but he grabbed the guy's head and held him in there. Must've had a grudge. All in the hurly-burly of the game I guess but lucky not to have attracted a bit of official attention.
By Anonymous, at August 23, 2008 12:53 pm
I seem to recall one where a player hits the touch judge and falls over whereas the touchie is standing straight as an arrow.
By Anonymous, at October 12, 2008 1:30 pm
What a great video. Priceless
By Anonymous, at November 08, 2008 11:17 pm
great vid, priceless
steve walsh catching the ball is hilarious, everybody just stops and stares at him xD...
steve walsh is actually a big boy (compared to other refs)
By luxi, at July 13, 2009 9:29 pm
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