With our first home fiture of the season on Saturday, we would like to remind everyone to respect our referees. The GRFU has remarked upon a worrying increase in abusive behaviour towards referees. This is unacceptable. Please remember without a referee there is no game, this applies to everyone, players, coaches and spectators. Anyone displaying abusive behaviour towards referees will be asked to leave.

So roll on Saturday, to the game against Old Patesians RFC and we look forward to seeing you all at The Memorial Ground #gbts

Please see below for a statement from GRFU Chair of Discipline, Dave Guyan.

MATCH OFFICIAL ABUSE

The number of offences, on and off the pitch which fall under law 9.28, relating to offences against Match Officials, is still on the increase and is something that does not comply with the standards and the ethos we would expect from those in the rugby community.

The aim of this letter is to notify all clubs within the Gloucestershire CB of this trend and to request that all managers and/or coaches brief their players and coaching staff accordingly that this behaviour on or off the field of play is not acceptable. This is a concern in the Adult game, Age Grade game and in Colts rugby.

This letter is to give notice that as a CB we will be continuing to look at reversing this trend, both by sanction, in accordance with RFU Regulation 19 and education. Any charges under these regulations will be seen in person by a Disciplinary Panel such is the seriousness we are placing on this matter.

In Gloucestershire itself we had a number of cases in the last two seasons, three of which have resulted in sanctions of 18 month, 2 years and 3 years. Last season we also added two weeks to any sanction upheld for 9.28 or 5.12 offences against the match officials, but this did not act successfully as a deterrent.

From the date of this letter until further notice, cases of this type either accepted or found proven by a GRFU Discipline Panel, may result in 50 percent of the entry point of the sanction being added to all sanctions as an aggravating factor.

Alongside this, there is a new provision under the sanction regulations to add an educational element to the sanction both for red cards and 5.12 offences, under footnotes 7,9 and 10 of regulation 19 Appendix 2

Clubs are reminded that the 5.12 charge can be brought against any member of a club, whether spectating, a club official or have a match day role, such as Coach, club AR, water carrier etc, as well as players.

We will also continue to support our neighbouring CB and Referee Societies by including this additional penalty to any red card or MOA report given from those societies.

Dave Guyan
Chair of Discipline
Gloucestershire RFU