Hugh Watkins banned and resigns

[uncle fester]

The RFU, and all the other unions, have plenty of referees who can all join the Ref only section, and monitor what is said.

If they want to.

If the IRB want to ban or otherwise punish me, my name is George Clancy!

Edit: Also, you could argue that Watkins is well out of line saying what he did in a public form and that he has thrown a hissy fit here.

 

[Bryan]

Edit: Also, you could argue that Watkins is well out of line saying what he did in a public form and that he has thrown a hissy fit here.

If there was a public "hands up" moment along the way, I'd think there would have been a different outcome.

Instead, what has happened is that we've now got a large ban which was made largely moot due to a resignation, and everyone weighing in from all sides!

This is NOT how professional rugby careers, be it players, coaches, or referees, should end.

Where the hell is the Communications Dept in this? How does this look good at all, to anyone!?

I'm not at all choosing a side. I'm looking at it thinking "how the hell is any of this going to help the game?"

 

[OB..]

There's a time and a place for criticism. In this case the time/place was poorly chosen.

I agree. However, the sanction suggests this may not have been the first transgression. Anybody know if he has previous?

 

[menace]

"Mr Watkins resigned before the case was heard and indicated he did not wish to attend the panel," said a WRU spokesperson.

And why wouldn't he defend himself first then throw his toys out of the cot if he lost?? Perhaps he saw the writing on the wall?

 

[Scarlet Al]

I agree. However, the sanction suggests this may not have been the first transgression. Anybody know if he has previous?

Not sure about previous, but I am aware of at least one other official in Wales who has had a longer ban for comments on social media.

 

[FlipFlop]

[tongue in cheek] I assume the WRU has a surplus of referees? And so wants to lose some, and put others off reffing.... [\tongue in cheek]

 

[Phil E]

[tongue in cheek] I assume the WRU has a surplus of referees? And so wants to lose some, and put others off reffing.... [\tongue in cheek]

Or maybe this is a convenient way of getting rid?

 

[B52 REF]

well hugh did once say that london refs "are a glum lot " at a tourney with me but we didn't report him....
love th "any other person" in wru reg.- so a welsh ref can't publicly criticise an english politician ??

 

[Scarlet Al]

Plot thickens. I'll point out this line in the players' code of conduct:

1.5 A Player shall not publish or cause to be published in any medium (including
via social networking websites) criticism of the manner in which the
Disciplinary Panel, the WRU Professional Disciplinary Panel or the Appeal
Panel (as applicable) handled or resolved any dispute or disciplinary matter.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/22215569

Wales prop Adam Jones criticises WRU after ref banned for tweet

Adam Jones has criticised the Welsh Rugby Union after it banned a referee for a remark he made on Twitter.
Referee Hugh Watkins resigned before he was suspended by the WRU on Tuesday.
The Wales, Lions and Ospreys prop's remark comes after the ongoing dispute between the WRU and the Welsh regions.
"Maybe if the WRU worried about themselves and the regions sorting their crap out and not banning a ref for tweeting we may get somewhere!" tweeted Jones.
Jones later removed the comments from his Twitter feed.
Watkins, a rugby referee for 20 years, said he was "astonished and disappointed" to be banned for 12 weeks.
While watching Wales play Fiji in the final of the Hong Kong Sevens on 24 March, he posted a comment on Twitter when Fiji's Ilai Tinai was given a yellow card for a tip-tackle on Lee Williams in the first half - an offence normally punished by a red.
"Sorry that's a shocker," Watkins tweeted. "Had to be red no other option. We need referees to be consistent in this."
Watkins admitted he regretted making the comment but said the 12-week ban was totally disproportionate.
He resigned immediately after being told by the WRU he faced disciplinary action.
The WRU and the Welsh regions - Scarlets, Ospreys, Cardiff Blues and Newport Gwent Dragons - have been embroiled in a bitter row about funding, central contracts and Wales wing George North.
The two parties are set to meet next Thursday in an attempt to settle the ongoing dispute that has dominated the the sport over the last month.
The regions had turned down an invitation to discuss a WRU proposal to contract players centrally, but will now meet the whole of the WRU board.
Wales wing George North's transfer from Scarlets to Northampton sparked the row between regions and union.
Since then, the two parties have issued claim and counter-claim over "control" to back up their respective views of the future of the professional tier in Wales.
A spokesman said the WRU would not be commenting on the remark made by Jones, while the Ospreys have also declined to comment.

 

[Simon Thomas]

as an excercise in employee relations. public communications and corporate governance the whole episode stinks.

Too many sports "organisations" that are now involved with many millions ($,£, €, etc) and taking lots of money from my clients and our trading partners (TV companies) have some inadequate & quite frankly incompetent people in executive, as opposed to honary, roles.

The organisation of excess imbibing of fermented drinks in manufacturing locations comes to mind !

 

[Davet]

disparaging, defamatory or false

Which seems to ban disparaging comments that are true.

I would suggest that any organisation that feels it has to ban true and accurate comments has an awful lot of dust under its carpets, and may well be better advised to put its house in order rather than gag public comment.

 

[Womble]

It's just a very sad day for Rugby world wide....

 

[Phil E]

I can't help feeling that there is more to it than one tweet?

 

[Dickie E]

I can't help feeling that there is more to it than one tweet?

I would be wondering that too. Maybe he was on his last warning or similar?

 

[Account Deleted]

I recently mentioned all of this and was questioned by people on this site ( no criticism intended) as to the validity of my comments. As has been posted in this thread, "gagging orders" of this type are typical across the whole employment spectrum. The official line seeming to be: "there's a way to do things".

We all have witnessed things on the field where we would have done things differently to the referee. The comment is often made that we do not know EXACTLY what the referee saw. We are reminded to consider what is clear and obvious from the TV may not be from the referees position. We may question the referee's positioning but we acknowledge that there are times when, through no fault of the referee, he will not be in the right place to see "it". HW knows this, and has commented in that vein when conducting referee training sessions in in society meetings in the past. He seems to have forgotten his own advise.

The sentence IS draconian!

I have banged on about the disciplinary system in rugby:

2 weeks for a stamp on the ankle.

14 weeks for a spit.

12 for a referee speaking inappropriately.

We need to sort out the relative seriousness of offences. Stamping on the ankle (with the, possible, career threatening implications contained) is FAR FAR worse than spitting or a word out of turn. Spitting is FAR worse that the poorly thought out Twitter comment.

Our Disciplinary system is being laughed at. We need to sort it out now.

That said, I think the WRU were "forced" to act by the ID of the person making the complaint to the WRU / IRB. A man who has, HIMSELF, criticised referees in public! One POB!

So we have one rule for the referees andone rule from Ref managers and IRB CEOs. Double standards, but are we shocked?

 

[Ciaran Trainor]

"Sorry that's a shocker. Had to be red no other option. We need referees to be consistent in this."
surely we've all made comments similar to this on numerous threads.
He is simply saying what most of us would when we see a dangerous situation that in our opinion should have been dealt with better.
(possibly career endind stamp comes to mind)
I hope he is not lost to the game but if I get banned for this I'll go to Rugby League and get paid for my saturdays!!