Back To The Future For World Cup Referees

Trip down memory lane


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Australian rugby league fans will take a trip down memory lane when the World Cup comes to town later this month. 

NRL Referees boss and the Head of Referees for the World Cup, Tony Archer, has confirmed only one referee will be used at the tournament and the old video-referee system will be in place rather than the Bunker. 

Despite the change, Archer has full confidence the Australian referees will be up to scratch come October 27. 

"For our blokes we've got a wealth of international experience here. They've refereed as one ref before," Archer said.

"Obviously it brings its own challenges but I'm confident with the experience we've got around us that we'll be right."

Archer also confirmed players won't necessarily be sin-bined automatically for punching an opposition player, like in the NRL, with the referees to decide the severity of the punishment with not pre-determined rule. 

"Punching is one of the (offences) that you can put someone in the sin bin for in the World Cup, if we believe it's sufficient enough we'll deal with it," he said. 

"We don't want the games to be marred by that and I'm confident the referees will be able to handle it.

"All the teams and all the nations have been given the rules. They're aware of what the rules are, all the changes, and what our interpretations are in and around those rules."

9 October 2017




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