What would you do.... not seen this before (or since)

[Andrew1974]

I have a game coming up in a couple of weeks at a club I have not refereed at for a couple of years. This has reminded me of an incident form last time I was there, what would you do...

Away team, score a try, I signal as such, then walk in at straight line away from the goal line, noting the score on my score card, I get to the kicker who is starting to prepare for his kick and turn around to see a member of the home team urinating against the left upright......

Never seen anything like it is 30+ years of being involved in rugby, so what do you do?

 

[Dickie E]

when you say left upright ... goal post or another player's left leg?

Seriously though, I'd blow time off, draw everyone's attention to the miscreant, make some witty but scathing comment, blow time on, and get on with it.

Now, if it was anywhere else but South Manchester ...

 

[crossref]

or is it RC under 10.4(m) and insist that a bucket of water is poured on the pitch, and the padding on the post is replaced before the game can be restarted ?

 

[Phil E]

Were there women and children watching?

 

[Decorily]

I've seen similar to this by a professional player.
During a pre match warm up as the outhalf was kicking at goal a 'scrum' of children had gathered at the barrier behind the goals to watch and catch the balls as they landed.
Another player knelt at the based of the post and proceeded to urinate. Got a booing reaction from the crowd but he seemed to delight in the attention!!!

 

[didds]

other than it was a home team player what if the home club can't replace the padding? You have either now got to back track on your demand or abandon the game.

We can pontificate about home club's responsibilities of course - but I'm not convinced we can castigate a whole club for one person's stupidity. And if the miscreant had instead been an away player - the onus on the home club makesm no difference.

washing it down with a bucket (more likely several squirt bottles!) is about as much as you can reasonable expect - particularly on pitches that may literally be miles from the club house (we used to regularly play on a council pitch that we had to drive to and from the clubhouse on the other side of town)

didds

- - - Updated - - -

Were there women and children watching?

does it matter if there were none but men were?

didds

 

[Dickie E]

does it matter if there were none but men were?

if a man pisses in the forest and no-body sees it ... except you , Constable :redface:

 

[crossref]

didds you are right, it would be foolish to dig oneself into a hole over the padding.

but what about the culprit? The other posters above don't seem think it's very serious. I think it's disgusting.
We RC people for spitting at someone. Where does this fit on the scale from a grin, to a RC ?

And please people don't tell me 'first time he does it it's a talking to, next time he does it's a YC, and then if he does it again....' etc etc.
It's not going to happen twice in a game!


@Andrew1974 what was the reaction of the other players, and what did you do ?

 

[CrouchTPEngage]

Never seen it and , given it was in the middle of a game and on the pitch I would seriously think minimum yellow ( probably a red ).
I've seen players (before kick-off) nip off to some bushes or off just off the pitch. But never ON the pitch.
We probably want to nip that sort of behaviour in the bud.

Red Card and restart with penalty to the conversion kicker's team on the half-way.
10.4(m) offence.

 

[Dickie E]

Red Card and restart with penalty to the conversion kicker's team on the half-way.
10.4(m) offence.

how was that accepted by all & sundry?

 

[CrouchTPEngage]

how was that accepted by all & sundry?

Just my hypothetical 2p's worth. Never actually happened.
The restart half-way is common for offences which occur in the act or after a try is scored yet before the conversion.

The RC is because its an act "against the spirit of good sportsmanship in the playing enclosure". Why didnt he go off to the side of the pitch ? I;m guessing because he wanted to encourage the opposition to not score a try in that place.

Brings a new definition to a player "making a mark"

 

[didds]

but what about the culprit? The other posters above don't seem think it's very serious. I think it's disgusting.
We RC people for spitting at someone. Where does this fit on the scale from a grin, to a RC ?

FTR I think its unaccaptable too. I sympathise entirely for needing a pee - there have to be better solutions than the goal post. Ive played on some pitches with public access no where near a clubhouse where an alternative is difficult. But OFF the pitch is a definite.

I can see a PK at the restart against him would be acceptable. Like you say - it isn't going to happen again anyway.

As for law? Acts contrary ... its simply unacceptable.

didds

 

[Pegleg]

Red Card. No place for it.

 

[Dickie E]

No place for it.

except ...

 

[VM75]

turn around to see a member of the home team urinating against the left upright......

Never seen anything like it is 30+ years of being involved in rugby, so what do you do?

I take his number & ask him to go to the clubhouse & return with a bucket of water & wash off the post protector - Whilst the match continues with his team a player short until he's washed his urine off.

a] discourages

b] meets my 'polluter pays' ideology

c] highlights him to his coach & supporters - as a 'piss taker'

 

[Andrew1974]

Hi Chaps,
Thanks for your comments, really interesting range of responses.

At the time I almost laughed it off, probably more out of surprise than any thought process that it was not an issue.
if I came across this now I think I would definitely be using some sort of sanction, although not sure I would go red card, def penalty, probably yellow to be honest. Although I do like VM75's suggestion.

Hopefully one of those questions that become moot because I'll never encounter it again.

Andrew

 

[Teriya]

You should not be soft. Red card and short speech about the toilets should be enough

____________
bazy firm ceny

 

[didds]

I take his number & ask him to go to the clubhouse & return with a bucket of water & wash off the post protector - Whilst the match continues with his team a player short until he's washed his urine off.

we used to play on a council pitch the other side of town, well over a mile away. There were no facilities at this place - it was a huge piece of council land with a rugby pitch marked on it with posts. It was probably over a quarter of a mile from the pitch to the car park alone. We used to have drive there en masse, across town with attendant Saturday afternoon traffic.

So this player you've now sent off to the club house to get a bucket of water - what if he isn;t a driver that day? Are you now going to insist a team mate drives him to the club house and returns with a bucket of water etc? So that team are two men down for 20-30 minutes?

Meanwhile having made the call that the post protector needs washing, you are going to play on anyway with the urine presumably still on the post protector?

Really?



didds

 

[VM75]

we used to play on a council pitch the other side of town, well over a mile away. There were no facilities at this place - it was a huge piece of council land with a rugby pitch marked on it with posts. It was probably over a quarter of a mile from the pitch to the car park alone. We used to have drive there en masse, across town with attendant Saturday afternoon traffic.

So this player you've now sent off to the club house to get a bucket of water - what if he isn;t a driver that day? Are you now going to insist a team mate drives him to the club house and returns with a bucket of water etc? So that team are two men down for 20-30 minutes?

Meanwhile having made the call that the post protector needs washing, you are going to play on anyway with the urine presumably still on the post protector?

Really?

didds

There's always one - who can find an extreme example to thwart a lesson being delivered.

Ok, try this, leave the field of play until you've found some water/lucozade sport [or use the stuff in the water bottles that you brought] & wash the urine off the post protector.

& next time find somewhere more appropriate to empty your bladder.

Better?

 

[OB..]

we used to play on a council pitch the other side of town, well over a mile away. There were no facilities at this place - it was a huge piece of council land with a rugby pitch marked on it with posts. It was probably over a quarter of a mile from the pitch to the car park alone. We used to have drive there en masse, across town with attendant Saturday afternoon traffic.

So this player you've now sent off to the club house to get a bucket of water - what if he isn;t a driver that day? Are you now going to insist a team mate drives him to the club house and returns with a bucket of water etc? So that team are two men down for 20-30 minutes?

Meanwhile having made the call that the post protector needs washing, you are going to play on anyway with the urine presumably still on the post protector?

Really?



didds

There's always one - who can find an extreme example to thwart a lesson being delivered.

Ok, try this, leave the field of play until you've found some water/lucozade sport [or use the stuff in the water bottles that you brought] & wash the urine off the post protector.

& next time find somewhere more appropriate to empty your bladder.

Better?

Another example of the legal maxim that "Hard cases make bad law".