From The Telegraph -
Luke Pearce has established himself as one of the best referees in the game over his 12-year professional career. He believes the next step that must be taken to improve officiating is clarifying the role of the TMO before the 2023 World Cup.
World Rugby is set to adapt protocols from July and Pearce told Telegraph Sport that changes are much needed.
“I don’t think anyone wants a game that is entirely judged off replays and every time the whistle is blown it can be looked at,” Pearce says. “That undermines the credibility of our role.
“If there has been a big mistake, and there is a way of fixing it quickly and easily, then use technology. It becomes tricky, though, because you get into debates about what counts as a ‘big mistake’.
“We need to get to a level of consistency where we can correct mistakes, but we are not there for two-and-a-half hours because everything is double-checked. We don’t want players diving to make sure we look at the screen.”
Pearce will oversee the Premiership semi-final between Saracens and Harlequins on Saturday. He has refereed at the World Cup, in European finals and Six Nations Grand Slam deciders but says the Premiership is the most challenging league to officiate due to its highly competitive nature where one decision can sway the outcome.
Over a career which includes 130 Premiership matches, Pearce has become renowned for a style of officiating that promotes flowing rugby and seeks to reduce stodgy periods of inaction. For example, Pearce is one of the few referees that properly enforces the five-second law at rucks. Does he feel a responsibility to help make the game a spectacle for fans?
“We have a responsibility to make sure we give a decent platform for the players to play,” says Pearce. “That blends in with accuracy and the lawbook - we can’t just ignore certain laws because we want the game to flow.
“Some games don’t fall into that category so you adapt and amend your style to what’s in front of you. There is no point in me giving 10 penalties in a game where 30 were needed, then having scraps break out.”
Pearce’s father, Andrew, refereed in the Championship which inspired him to take up the whistle at the age of 16. Now 34, Pearce has developed the skill of communicating with players in a friendly yet firm manner, often speaking with a smile while also not being afraid to march teams back 10 metres when they talk back - even if it is Billy Vunipola twice in the same incident.
The Devon-based referee has learnt French in recent years to extend his style of officiating to teams from across the Channel.
Pearce believes the relationship of respect between referees and players has been restored to where it should be after a tricky period.
“It has not been easy - for players, too - but we have that two-way respect back,” Pearce says. “Managing [dialogue with players] is one of the hardest parts. We understand players will get emotional. If that line is crossed, then, at the end of the day, we are paid to enforce the law book. We can’t accept things that don’t look good for the wider game.
“I am a big believer in the biggest part of the job being the relationships. They become strained depending on wins or losses, or whether a mistake is made by us, but that is the nature of sport.”
The transparency and respect that Pearce advocates includes being prepared to admit he is wrong, even during the heat of battle.
“Players respect it when you say ‘I might have missed it’ or ‘I got that wrong’,” says Pearce. “The more we open up and show we are human beings not robots, the better.”
English referee Luke Pearce (R) gives a yellow card to Lyon's New Zealander centre Charlie Ngatai during the European Challenge Cup rugby union final match between Lyon Olympique Universitaire (LOU) and Rugby Club Toulonnais (RCT) at the Velodrome Stadium in Marseille, southeastern France, on May 27, 2022
One of the most drastic changes for referees has been the law changes around head contact. A high number of red cards have been handed out this season with player safety at the top of World Rugby’s agenda and Pearce admits that referees are now more comfortable sending players off after a period of adaptation.
“When we first did it, we were in the spotlight for giving cards and it was quite a big shift,” explains Pearce. “People now recognise the importance of keeping the game safe and eliminating as much head contact as we can. We are being backed up in the public domain for incidents where players just get it wrong.”
Another element that could change in the near future is having referee’s decisions broadcast for supporters in the ground. It was trialled in the Rugby Championship last September as well as in the Premiership Rugby Cup this season.
'Broadcasting a referee’s decisions to fans in the ground could be really positive'
Pearce is broadly in favour of the development, if the technology can do it justice.
“It could be really positive,” he says. “But I don’t want anything that could be a distraction, so if you are in a really modern stadium with fantastic speakers then it is no issue - but there are grounds that don’t have that.
“The way forward is to have someone with the ability to broadcast the decision rather than the entire conversation. I think it will happen - it is just about how.”
When Pearce’s refereeing career ends, there is a new world of opportunities out there for ex-officials. Nigel Owens has paved the way for referees to give insight as part of television coverage while French sides have started adding referees to their coaching staff.
But Pearce still has plenty of whistle-blowing to get through yet.
“I could do another 10 or 11 years! It would be a challenge in my forties, but there is no reason why not. I need to figure out what comes after that... if 25 years of refereeing has not put paid to me first!”
Topic: Luke Pearce on Refereeing (Read 717 times)
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