Abuse from the sidelines has stopped people from wanting to become referees and scared off their families from coming to watch games, an Auckland rugby referees association says.
It's prompted the organisation to launch a social media campaign to get people to sign up, as it struggles to fill holes in its roster.
Rebecca Stanaway, chair of the North Harbour Rugby Referees Association, says it's been a struggle to get new people to sign up to be refs.
The association, which covers the regions that make up Auckland's north, administers 12 clubs, numerous schools and over 10,000 players.
Speaking to 1News, Stanaway said the biggest reason behind the shortage was sideline abuse.
"Nobody wants to turn up and give their time and drive long distances to cop flak from the sideline."
She said abuse had become so bad that the families of some referees had stopped coming to watch.
"I've had a number of referees sort of say to me, 'look, my partner and my children don't come to games anymore because they've got somebody yelling horrible things at daddy on the sideline, and I don't need to subject my kids or my partner to that'."
Stanaway said she had heard of spectators going on a "swearing tirade" over decisions they disagreed with, and described instances where players had swarmed referees, which she said was "intimidating" for them.
"I think people sort of get a little bit forgetful, shall we say. You've got a human being out there in the middle of that pitch.
"They're on to do the best that they can, and they're trying to give teams the opportunity to play rugby."
'Catch 22'
Head of membership and communications at the association Caleb Greaves told 1News it was a particularly bad issue in the younger grades, where junior refs start out.
"Maybe the parents aren't as well informed on the laws," he said. "It's your classic parents wanting their kids to do well, maybe taking it a bridge too far and blaming it on the referee.
"But that's not to say that senior teams are squeaky clean at all, but it's definitely more prevalent."
He called it a "catch 22", where junior refs needed to learn how to referee, but were being turned off by the abuse.
"What I've noticed is that when people have actually stayed on for three or four or more years, they usually stay on."
Stanaway said the ref shortage was also a Covid hangover, with many officials not returning after lockdowns ended. Work commitments and travel costs were also a factor.
"The typical Monday-to-Friday working week hasn't been around for a while. People are working weekends, Saturdays, evenings, and things like that.
"If we've got to send somebody who lives in Takapuna all the way up to Mahurangi, there's the travel time for that. But then there's also the cost of gas as well."
She said the association had been struggling to fill games, which meant less qualified refs had to be called up to officiate more senior games.
"Normally, what we would try to do is have our first-year referees doing junior rugby because they're still learning, and so are the kids.
"But we've actually had a number of our first-year referees into that secondary school space without the time on the field, or time to settle."
Social media campaign - 'just see what happens'
It's prompted Greaves to launch a campaign to recruit more refs.
The videos, posted to social media, depict Greaves in full ref uniform doing tasks that commentators ask him to do. Initially, he said he would keep making the videos until someone signed up to be a ref.
In one video, he tackles a rubbish bin; in another, he kicks a goal. In one, he stands on a street corner holding a makeshift sign reading "SIGN UP 2 REF". The videos have garnered thousands of views.
"I just noticed a sudden drop of sort of about 17 to 20 referees, who were fully registered last season, who hadn't come back, and, I just thought, you know what, stuff it, I may as well do something a bit rogue and just see what happens."
So far, it's had some success, with two people signing up. Greaves is continuing the series until five more people sign up.
Both Greaves and Stanaway still love refereeing.
"It's my active meditation," Stanaway said. "I don't have to focus on the rest of my life for 80 minutes; I have to focus on what's in front of me."
"It's a great game, and it's the best seat in the house."
Greaves said it was the best way to be involved with the game without actually playing.
"I basically had to finish playing when I was 16, when I was probably enjoying my rugby the most. The stuff that I've been able to be involved in at levels of rugby that I never would have been able to."
"I've been able to referee and meet some amazing people, some amazing players, work with some amazing coaches, and meet some other world-class referees. It really is one heck of an opportunity."
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