While it may have taken World Rugby a few days to consider their options and reflect on what had happened, their banning of Rassie Erasmus for two matches isn’t a surprise.
In fact, if World Rugby didn’t respond in the way they have … now that would have been something.
For the record, Erasmus has been banned for two matches for the social media posts he made after the Springboks’ losses against Ireland and France, in which he seemingly criticises referee Wayne Barnes and his officials for a number of decisions that appeared to go against the Boks.
Erasmus was criticsed far and wide for his actions. He responded by saying he wasn’t having a go at the officials but educating South African rugby fans about what the team should do better to improve their performances and results.
World Rugby — and many others — didn’t buy it.
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While Erasmus makes many valid points in his tweets, and while he and the Boks can probably feel hard-done by, it is not only the Boks who get on the wrong side of the officials; all teams do.
Rugby is a game with many gray areas and there are many laws that are hard to rule on because very little in rugby is black and white and mistakes or errors of judgement will be made. It is rugby and it is sport. It happens.
Erasmus already felt done-in by the officials last July during the British and Irish Lions’ first Test against the Boks. He then made an hour-long video highlighting errors made by Nic Berry. It got the SA Rugby boss banned for several months.
Sore losers
And one would have thought Erasmus would have learned that if there are issues he wants clarity on or cleared up that there are better ways of doing it than by making videos and sending clips onto social media.
It is unfortunate that the world champions, possibly because of Erasmus’ tweets, are not winning too many new friends in the game. They are being seen as whingers and sore losers.
Rugby fans on social media have had their say, World Rugby have acted; now we wait to see how Erasmus’ employers will view the latest developments.
