Chris Busby. A good man, and now a significant loss to elite rugby refereeing.
The first thing to say is that I have not spoken to Busby following his decision to resign. These are my words, my opinion, and it shouldn’t be construed that I am writing on his behalf. I’m not.
It’s uncertain as to what the main reason is, but I’d be surprised if the recent Mack Hansen issue didn’t play a large part.
Leinster win in La Rochelle - grit or alarm bells?
That issue has been botched from first to last. The player publicly castigated the performance of Busby and implied that Connacht were playing against 16 men. That was a step too far, coming alarmingly close to an accusation of cheating. For good measure, Hansen included other referees in his expletively-framed denunciation.
A serious error was that the URC did not hold a disciplinary hearing straight away. Due to the holiday period, a judicial panel should have been on standby to deal immediately with any disciplinary or misconduct matters. The delay was extremely unhelpful.
When it did take place, the panel decided on a six-match sentence, but with three set aside. It, very handily, sees Hansen available for the Six Nations opener. It’s inclusive of Connacht’s fixture against Glasgow, which is just a week before Ireland play England. It’s easy to suggest that he would never have played in that game, as he will surely be in the Ireland camp instead. Heaven alone knows how that match can count as part of the ban.
The panel’s judgment also requires the winger to attend a course in officiating, and there is a suspended €10,000 fine for Connacht. These little add-ons seem to me like an attempt to disguise, to gloss over, what is a light sentence. It will actually enable Hansen to rest up and be fighting fit for England’s arrival in town.
The IRFU could, of course, decide to restore faith in rugby’s values by adding a match or two on to Hansen’s suspension. The union is, rightly, extremely hot on these issues, particularly those of respect and integrity, so silence now is anything but golden. In every walk of life values are much, much more than decorative badges of convenience, to be worn only when it suits.
Generic statements of support for match officials ring hollow; this incident needed to be addressed specifically. But there still remains an opportunity to uphold these values – no player is bigger than the game.
Furthermore, it strikes me that Busby and Hansen are, more or less, employed by the same organisation, just working in different departments. It seems unfair to me that as the referee hangs up his whistle, the player will continue to enjoy the often deserved adulation of supporters. It can’t be right to have one employee berating another in full public, and televised, view. It’s irreconcilable with respect and integrity. Try it in the corporate world and you’d promptly be clearing your desk.
“Sorry” is a valuable word. Hansen had plenty of time, together with coach Pete Wilkins, to call up Busby and offer a meaningful apology. The apology, unsurprisingly, did come at the judicial hearing, a complete about turn. It is also on the Connacht website. It is, though, far too little, far too late. Meaningless.
The whole affair raises serious questions in what is a terribly unfortunate story. For example, where was the IRFU referee department in all of this? A simple statement would have helped greatly, expressing full support for their referee, and that no further comment would be made until after the hearing. This incident comes on top of the department losing three key staff members last spring. A truly annus horribilis.
The social media comments, emanating from low-lifes, directed at Busby have been so utterly vile that it’s impossible for match officials to be immune, to ignore them. Their families, too, cannot be expected to be anything less than horrified. Partners, parents, kids – all suffer at the hands of these nameless cowards.
Extraordinarily, there has also been some commentary from journalists which attempts to paint Hansen as a victim of sorts. Make of those opinions what you will.
And what does all of this do to the recruitment and retention of referees? It’s increasingly difficult to see the appeal of setting out on the long path to becoming an elite professional referee, only on arrival to be met with frightening hate mail which has a hugely unsettling effect on family life. And, if unequivocal visible support is needed, well, it’s far from guaranteed.
[ Gerry Thornley: The IRFU’s desire to ‘respect our game’ seems somewhat selectiveOpens in new window ]
Also, it should be remembered that the time commitment of full-time referees is massive. There is never a “home” match, nothing but constant travel. Irish, and other URC referees get the worst of it. Apart from the odd appointment within their own country, which still requires travel to another province, the vast majority of their appointments see these referees heading for the airport. It all eats into normal social, and family life. Weekends at home are a thing of the past.
Finally, let us all wish Busby and his family the very best as he bows out, having achieved much. Rugby’s loss is bound to be someone else’s welcome gain.
