Test referee Roos resigns

Test referee Willie Roos has resigned from refereeing, prompting Andre Watson, referees' manager of the South African Rugby Union, to call on rugby supporters to return to traditional rugby values of respect towards officials.

Roos retired from refereeing after 15 years of training and experience after he was abused and had a drink flung in his face in Kimberley following an Currie Cup match. Some supporters blamed Roos for Griquas' defeat after they earned two yellow cards in the final ten minutes and succumbed to a late score from the Blue Bulls.

Roos is taking legal action against his assailant in Kimberley.

"We have been working hard to recruit more referees and have seen a six percent increase in our numbers, but incidents like this and the criticism and abuse that our officials receive both from the stands and from the attendant publicity violates the spirit of rugby," said Watson.

"It takes many years and tens of thousands of rands to bring a referee through the ranks to be able to officiate at Currie Cup level, and to lose one because of the actions of a few hot-headed supporters and ill-informed media comment is desperately wasteful from a rugby point of view and personally very sad for Willie Roos.

Full article: http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,2...516289,00.html