There has been a lot of publicity recently about the RFU increasing punishments in an attempt to crack down on escalating match official abuse. I am pleased to say that Beverley RUFC has a good track record of taking the core values of our sport very seriously. It is something that is encouraged in our coaches and subsequently in the behaviour of our players across all age groups of the club.

This does not mean we should be complacent and the clubs management committee would like to highlight what the recent directives from the RFU mean in practice.  There has been a marked increase in MOA by coaches, club officials and spectators/club members across the nation. The RFU report that MOA, particularly, is seen as instrumental to the increasing number of referees retiring from the game, often solely as a result of the way in which they have been treated, abused and spoken to by players, spectators or club members.

The directive from the RFU now means that the disciplinary panel will apply an additional 2 to 4 weeks to any sanctions they apply to players/clubs/coaches. In addition to this, action has also recently been taken against clubs where non-playing spectators and members have deemed to have been participating in MOA. One club had incidents at a Colts game and had a 10 point reduction to the club’s 1st XV team league points (suspended and to be invoked if there is a repeat of this behaviour). Another club had a game abandoned and have had a 15 point reduction applied to their Senior 1st XV (to be carried over and applied at the start of next season, because it was felt to apply it to the current season would have little to no effect due to their present position in the league).

Beverley RUFC would like to make it very clear to all players, coaches, supporters, parents, and guests from the 1st XV to the U6s, that any behaviour likely to be construed as Match Official Abuse will not be tolerated by the club. Everyone should understand that it has no place in our sport and any such behaviour could have serious consequences for the club as a whole.

Beverley RUFC welcome all match officials to our club, they are our guests and will be treated with the friendliness and respect that they deserve. The club is grateful that these volunteers give up their free time for the good of the game that we all love and appreciate that without them we would have no game.

Brian Gilbert
Chairman Beverley RUFC