Bryce fears for safety in SA
16 Nov 2011
Bryce Lawrence says he won’t officiate in South Africa next season if his personal safety is under threat.
Since Lawrence’s controversial performance in the Wallabies’ 11-9 quarter-final win over the Springboks at the World Cup, the Kiwi referee has been critcized for his handling of the breakdown by South African players, fans and media.
Retired Springbok captain John Smit said: ‘The one positive of retirement is that I won’t ever have to be reffed by him again’. Even Saru manager of referees Andre Watson slammed Lawrence’s performance, saying the New Zealander won’t officiate at a future World Cup as he would be severely admonished by the IRB.
A Facebook campaign titled ‘Petition To Stop Bryce Lawrence Ever Reffing A Rugby Game Again’ set up a platform for public abuse to be directed at Lawrence, while 94.7 Highveld Stereo radio station’s Darren ‘Whackhead’ Simpson has claimed to have prank called him in the middle of the night.
Speaking to Tony Veitch on Radiosport, Lawrence said he is aware of the threat of refereeing in South Africa during Super Rugby next year.
‘I’m not totally concerned. I know a lot of other people like the New Zealand Rugby Union and SANZAR do have some serious concerns,’ Lawrence said. ‘In all honesty, I’m not going to go over there if there’s any personal threat or I have concerns about my safety because in the end it’s a job. I know that, and also it’s just a sport so I’m not going to put myself at risk.’
‘I refereed the [Super Rugby] final last year,’ he continued. ‘I’ve refereed a lot of play-off games so that level is something I’m more than capable of refereeing. I’ll referee South African teams in Super Rugby, it may be in Australia or New Zealand that I referee them and I’m sure the criticism will resurface every time I do referee them.’
Lawrence admitted that he always thinks back to his performance in the Wallabies/Bok quarter-final fixture.
‘It hasn’t been the greatest four or six weeks of my life…in all honesty there isn’t a day goes by even now that I don’t think about what I could have done better and how it’s affecting me and what it means for me going forward. It’s still very fresh and probably pretty raw really,’ he said.
‘I was disappointed with some aspects in my own performance that day after refereeing four really pretty strong games in pool play. I’m not blaming anyone for the quarterfinal refereeing display apart from myself. I didn’t referee as well as I could.
‘I was pretty relaxed going into that game, and Australia/South Africa I have refereed numerous times in the last few years at Tri-Nations level so the game didn’t scare me or concern me. I just think I went away from what I’m best at. I’m best when I’m pretty decisive and reasonably technical and tactical – and I just went too much down the tactical side of things where I was really trying to minimise making technical errors.
‘I got criticised heavily and some of that I accept because I know I could have done better.’
Lawrence added that he has been punished by being left out of the Six Nations.
‘Look, there have been some pretty clear consequences from my quarterfinal display. I’m not going to be refereeing Six Nations next year, they can say that means I’m rested but in reality I accept that one of the consequences of my performance is that I’m not going to be doing Six Nations.
‘That’s disappointing from a personal level but also something that I probably support. Referees often get criticised and not held accountable – well I’m clearly being held accountable I’m not refereeing Six Nations.’
Meanwhile, Sanzar CEO Greg Peters told Eyewitness News they have not expressed any concerns regarding Lawrence’s safety in South Africa. Peters explained that he consulted their legal advisors and said the Lawrence safety saga has not been discussed within Sanzar.
395 Comments
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16 Nov 2011, 09:38 am
@>^..^< katman(katman)-128: I actually wont give Kudos to that 20% Aussie defence. They had more than enough time to set their defence. Where did they get this time?? From Pocock illegally slowing the ball down at the breakdown. So add that 20% Aussie defence to the 80% Bryce and what do you get 100% Bryce.
If Pocock was penalised and ask to roll away and hands out of ruck the Boks would of got much quicker ball because we were dominating the set piece and contact points. I am sure the Boks would of scored a few tries with that quick ball.
16 Nov 2011, 09:38 am
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-138:
I dunno man. I’ve got the money. I’ve been drunk to the stage where I can’t recall anything. But it only took me a couple of times doing that to realize how petty it is. A casual beer or two is one thing, but Zac has now shown that he obviously cares little for the affect his behavior has on those around him. Guildford getting out of his clothes as well is hilarious.
But heck I definitely wouldn’t assault anybody randomly. And definitely not a 60-year old man from behind.
Alcohol I think just helped show what an arrogant prick Guildford probably is. He shouldn’t be blaming it on the alcohol.
He needs a good hiding I say. Forget about the drinking problem, he needs to look at himself! Gotten too big for his shoes.
The sexual harassment was the worst of all in my opinion. Us males are far too quick to underestimate how that sort of behavior affects a female who wants nothing more then to mind her own business.
16 Nov 2011, 09:40 am
@Skeppie(Skeppie)-142: I can’t lie and say that I have ever been much of a Lions fan, although through process of elimination they actually occupy my third most favorite team
I have never thought about it like that before.
I am also a Sharks supporter, and I must say that what the Lions have achieved has added a new aspect to South African rugby, a new reason to be excited and the rebirth of an evenly matched contender.
I also wont deny that I was disappointed by the outcome of the Currie Cup final this year (partly because this will probably be the last Currie Cup final I watch on SA soil with my buddies), but there is no denying the Lions deserved what they got.
For me, the referee was good, there was no extenuating weather or any other reason why the Lions won other than they were just better. And better by quite a margin. I actually think it was more alarming to me than disappointing
It was a legitimate win – no arguments or excuses.
Good luck to them. Those players should all have bronze statues erected outside Ellis Park, because they saved their union. The Lions needed this trophy – big time !
16 Nov 2011, 09:41 am
@Brads(Brads)-149: Ja boet, if all you say was true we wouldn’t have Bryce spilling his guts here about his disappointment in himself and how he’s had to remove all the mirrors from his house.
16 Nov 2011, 09:41 am
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-136: No just a good old Qantas strike should suffice. He can run around the airport for a while and say a few more Our Father’s.
16 Nov 2011, 09:41 am
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-152:
And with the binge drinking problem. I think they need to knuckle down on advertising.
That and go back to banning the sale of beer in supermarkets.
I’ll be voting Labour, that’s for sure. John Key bragging that he did a yardie and then spewed on his 21st I thought showed us all what he’s like. Way too relaxed in his approach. Goff may actually get things done.
16 Nov 2011, 09:41 am
@Big Hit(Big Hit)-145:
My bad, missed my Q
16 Nov 2011, 09:44 am
@Dusky(Dusky)-153:
Much as I like what the Lions did in the CC, if you take away that they had built momentum, and had home ground advantage by the time the Springboks returned… Will they really have the players to match-up with the other SA sides?
I think not. They’ll do well not to again finish last from the SA sides. I’m more excited to see what the Cheetahs can do now that they have Heinrich Brussow, Juan Smith & Andries Strauss back, and Johan Goosen as an option at 10.
16 Nov 2011, 09:45 am
@Dusky(Dusky)-144: yip…..
but reading all this stuff makes me inclined to say it once again
so here goes
GO NORTH SA!
16 Nov 2011, 09:46 am
@grant10(grant10)-159: What do you care? You’re a Namibia fan.
16 Nov 2011, 09:48 am
@JL1(JL1)-41: 5 Kiwis and 500000 rich foreigners — this is a global village, pilgrim.
16 Nov 2011, 09:48 am
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-152: Speaking of a good hiding. I remember being at Eds Diner in Hatfield, Pretoria with some of my varsity mates when we heard a commotion.
We went to check it out, and a professional South African rugby player (name withheld – I don’t want to be sued) was lying on his back, bleeding from his nose and forehead.
Similar scenario to Guildford, except turned out a bit differently for him. He came waltzing into Eds, out of his head drunk, thinking he was some kind of god due to being a Springbok (even though he was pretty much finished at that stage), and started hitting on the girlfriend of one of the koshuis guys right in front of him. I am telling you, Mr rugby got the f$%ken hiding of his life.
I remember watching him two weeks or so later play for his province, and he had a lekker shiner. Serves him right. These guys think they are invincible. BTW – he was a front row forward, and he saw his backside !
16 Nov 2011, 09:49 am
@Big Hit(Big Hit)-145: LOL
16 Nov 2011, 09:51 am
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-156:
Goff is a good man, but never Prime Minister marerial.
Trouble for Labour though, he was the best they had when he was elected to lead them, and they will suffer as a result.
16 Nov 2011, 09:52 am
@>^..^< katman(katman)-160: Ja…
you bullys bullied us…..
but kakked yourselves against Samoa and Aussies
and sneaked a lucky packet 1 point last gasp win over wales
and selected like sentimental girls
not just Bryce my man…….not just Bryce
16 Nov 2011, 09:54 am
So if Kings dont play superrugby….can we please get Luke back Mr Solomons?
16 Nov 2011, 09:55 am
@Dusky(Dusky)-162:
Good stuff!
Hitting on a girl though isn’t quite the same as assaulting a random (one who asked if you needed help) and then harassing a woman who is by herself on the street though.
One of the most shameful acts I think ever committed by a NZ rugby player. It’s a shame that Mark Reason is trying to ‘underplay’ it (in the Dominion Post today). Borders on what that Aussie league player did to his dog.
16 Nov 2011, 09:55 am
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-156: Cheetahs will be a dark horse. Bulls will struggle after losing all those stalwarts.
If you believe what Jake White said, the Bulls have lost their triumvirate in Fourie Du Preez, Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha. It will have an affect. I think the Bulls might be in for a very tough patch over the next year or three.
Sharks – well, I must say I wasn’t impressed by the Sharks this Currie Cup. They had a strange, slap dash attitude and were sloppy and undisciplined. It actually looked like all the motivation they had in 2010 was gone. Not acceptable. If they play like that in the Super 15 – well, they might well end up well in the second half of the log.
Lions – This Currie Cup win will count for something. They have played out the ‘David and Goliath’ scenario, and gotten the perfect outcome. They will take some of this belief forward into the Super 15 and I think they are a team to be watched. I hear what you say, but the Lions clearly don’t care about names. Plus they have some of the names now. Josh Strauss and Jaco Taute are just two players that are probably the best in their positions in SA right now !
Stormers – I dont know – they, like the Sharks looked half cooked. They have also lost a few players, and it will be interesting to see if their depth comes into question again in the Super 15 like it did in the Currie Cup. You cant do well in Super rugby without depth.
16 Nov 2011, 09:56 am
Zac must just never farekn ever again have even a sip of booze….
klaar
16 Nov 2011, 09:58 am
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-167: Ja, when I say ‘hitting on a girl’ – he was apparently quite ‘hands on’. All I know is the guy’s name who bliksem’d him was Hansie.
Hansie – as jy dalk hier lees, ons is nog steeds trots op jou boet.
The guys who saw it happen say old Hansie knocked him down before the bouncers could even get there to break it up
16 Nov 2011, 09:58 am
@Brads(Brads)-164:
He’s not exactly what you would pick as the ‘face’ of whatever you’re trying to sell.
But he’s a politician through and through. One of the brightest political minds in New Zealand. It’s just a shame he gives off that ‘geek’ image while people vote for John because ‘I like him’ rather then what he’s actually done during his term.
If Labour somehow pull it off, I’ll be ecstatic.
16 Nov 2011, 09:58 am
I see WP are starting their pre-season training on the 1st December. So our boys are getting a good rest now.
16 Nov 2011, 09:59 am
Stormers problems are at opensider….F Louw leaves a gaping wound…..
That is why Luke will be a brilliant acquisition, subject to him being willing to go hell for leather as a specialist opensider, as opposed to the 8 role…..not sure he has the inclination for the role anymore though.
16 Nov 2011, 09:59 am
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-152:
I agree with your sentiments.
There is a solid knot of folk in this country who are probably addicted to the booze.
However, there is also a knot within that group who’s personality changes when they get affected by alcohol.
Zac is in that group and he needs to recognise it pronto.
16 Nov 2011, 10:01 am
@grant10(grant10)-173: You guys want to get the cancer again ? You didn’t learn your lesson from the previous time you signed this self interested prat ?
16 Nov 2011, 10:03 am
@Dusky(Dusky)-170: was at a function where a certain “respectable” bok was in a jolly state and he touch a lady’s bum at the bar counter…
she turned around and klapped the living daylight out of him…
hehehehehehe…
16 Nov 2011, 10:03 am
@Dusky(Dusky)-175: talk rugby
and rugby alone
you wally
16 Nov 2011, 10:03 am
@Dusky(Dusky)-168:
I’m not so sure. I think the Bulls have a very good shot at topping the SA side.
The best sides all have good attacking scrumhalves, and Francois Hougaard might be the very best attacking scrumhalf. He could rival Genia (who won it last year). I think the game has moved on from Fourie du Preez to be honest.
Also, I think Juandre Kruger will be a good replacement for Matfield. The Bulls did very well to sign this guy. My prediction is he’ll be playing for the Springboks next year, probably off the bench if Andries Bekker stays fit.
And then signing Johann Sadie (finally they have a centre who will make things happen) will only make them better. You’ll see Wynand Olivier also looking a lot better outside of him.
I’m no big fan of Heyneke Meyer (as a Springbok coach), but damn I have to admit, he’s done one hell of a job with the Bulls.
There was an article a while back saying he was going to start making the Bulls into a good attacking team from 2012 onwards, which is why he let go of guys like Dippenaar, Brummer etc.
16 Nov 2011, 10:04 am
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-171:
National won in 2008 because they eventually got sick and tired of Helen.
Much like in the 1980′s when Muldoon ran the show, and booted him to touch
Key needs to be careful he doesn’t give the impression National is a one man band.
16 Nov 2011, 10:05 am
@grant10(grant10)-173:
You seen much of Reuben Johannes?
I noticed them saying he is a ‘future star’.
16 Nov 2011, 10:05 am
Luke has committed himself elsewhere.
In the land of the Kings, Luke is one-eyed.
16 Nov 2011, 10:07 am
@>^..^< katman(katman)-181: Long may he stay there too.
16 Nov 2011, 10:07 am
@Dusky(Dusky)-42:
Yes but unlike any of those nations you mention,none have the dynamics that exist in SA caused by the apartheid system & its remnant results.That and the fact the the “minority” have control of the majority of resources,financial institutions & industry. So on what ideological basis in SA context would policy be applied to protect the “minority” when the very variables which such policy would be based on are in monopoly of such a minority? Thus how stupid does that make that statement you just made where context was largely unrelated to current traits indicative of modern day SA?
16 Nov 2011, 10:08 am
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-178: imo Bulls will struggle next year but will improve….
2013 maybe the year….
16 Nov 2011, 10:08 am
@Dusky(Dusky)-168: Yip the Bulls will suffer initially but I see them finishing strong in the S15.
If Cheetahs can keep their injuries down they will surely be competitive.
Lions are still an unknown quantity for me. They won the Currie Cup but Superrugby is a different beast all together. They need to start the tournament well.
The Sharks always start well but then fade as the comp goes on. If they can maintain consistency throughout the tournament they can be there at the end.
The Stormers just need to keep doing what they are doing and improve on last season. They have built impressive depth in the Currie Cup hopefully that will counter all the players they have lost.
16 Nov 2011, 10:08 am
To kiwi that said at least he admitted he had a bad game, what else could he do after the irb gave him a tap on the wrist and sanctioned him by not letting him ref the 6 nations.
16 Nov 2011, 10:09 am
@Sasuke(Sasuke)-172: so they will be super fit just in time for the Converance cup!
16 Nov 2011, 10:09 am
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-180:
Have seen him play for WP u21. Good player,has a high workrate,good tackle efficiency and decent ball carrier. A better version of Davon Raubenheimer(who had a big year with Cheetahs S15)
16 Nov 2011, 10:09 am
@Brads(Brads)-179:
National benefitting from the lot who don’t really care much about politics. Who don’t quite understand what’s going on, but trust that ‘everything will be alright’.
It will be, but those very same people would be better off under Labour. Yet they vote for John Key, because they like him by their own admission.
It’s frustrating is all
16 Nov 2011, 10:11 am
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-180: I dont know him at all….
16 Nov 2011, 10:11 am
@Staal(Staal)-184:
Fair call. I can’t see them staying out for too long. They signing too much talent from all over the place to be weak.
Not helping anybody else much though. Poor Cheetahs are again being robbed of any good player to come out of Grey Bloem.
16 Nov 2011, 10:13 am
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-138: this is interesting
We glorify drinking, then we get moralistic
MARK REASON Last updated 05:02 16/11/2011
OPINION: Sebastian Flyte, his body pierced by a variety of wines, leans in through the open window of Charles Ryder’s college rooms and is violently sick. If only Zac Guildford had been born a fictional aristocrat.
Then he could have quaffed and chundered for New Zealand, strolled around with a disobedient teddy bear and generally had a good time without anyone caring too much.
But Guildford, despite his prettiness, is not from the Arcadian world of Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited. He cannot ask: “Ought we to be drunk every night?” and receive the rather languid reply: “Yes, I think so.” Guildford is an All Black, a professional athlete. Guildford is a role model. It’s a holy trinity that comes with a very confusing creed for a young man.
It’s a creed that glorifies drinking and then says: “Thou shalt not”. Up and down the country rugby clubs challenge each other to drinking games. Prizes are frequently spent behind the bar. You’re a wimp if you can’t down your pint in one. But we turn to our young All Blacks and say: “Thou shalt not”.
As a culture we celebrate drinking and I, one among many, will be glugging my way round Toast Martinborough this Sunday in search of the serene plateau. Prime Minister John Key told the nation recently that he had downed a yard glass and spewed afterwards. There’s not much of a mixed message there unless you are a young All Black like Zac Guildford. Then it’s OK for the PM to get trolleyed as a young man, rite of passage and all that, but “thou shalt not”.
Our culture celebrates drinking in a myriad of ways. Steinlager has been the official sponsor of the All Blacks for 25 years and Heineken sponsor of both the Rugby World Cup and Europe’s biggest club competition. The Rugby World Cup was also backed by the Brancott Estate winery. Yep, booze and rugby are good mixers.
Sport has garlanded its drinkers over the years. Ian Botham is still revered for his capacity to down a vat of alcohol and then charge in from the Pavilion End like an indefatigable rhino. Sir Colin Meads still has remarkable fitness levels when it comes to beer consumption.
Society describes its drinkers as “legendary” and sessions as “epic”. Winston Churchill nourished himself on champagne and brandy.
Literature is brimful with writers who have been sustained by the grog. Raymond Chandler, Tennessee Williams, Truman Capote, F Scott Fitzgerald, PG Wodehouse, William Faulkner and Jack Kerouac all liked a skinful.
And just how many words are there for getting drunk compared with that rather prim bi-syllable “sober”. Our language likes a drunk, a sot, a tippler, a lush and a soak. We like to get hammered or pickled or soused or go out on a bender. We sell cheap booze to the kids and then get all moralistic when a “troubled” All Black goes off on one. “Thou shalt not.”
Television pours beer down our throats every day. The magnificent Homer Simpson tells Bart: “Now son, you don’t want to drink beer. That’s for daddies and kids with fake IDs.” That’s not a thousand words away from the comedy of bibulous NZRU officials telling Guildford to abstain or Australian CEO John O’Neill, his face a living map of alcohol consumption, reprimanding Quade Cooper, James O’Connor and Kurtley Beale for a boozy bar-room brawl. Hollywood celebrates alcohol.
Zac Guildford’s wretched behaviour on Rarotonga was negligible compared with the main characters of The Hangover. In a society that idolises booze and boozers, it is no wonder that Cory Jane said if Guildford had a drinking problem, “then we’ve all got a drinking problem”. Maybe we have. There is a lot of death and violence and sexual assault prompted by booze. And also a lot of joy and splendour and celebration.
Guildford is lucky that good men like Wayne Smith and Gilbert Enoka were about to pick him up. I will be amazed if the kid needs “help” at his age, but he could probably handle a bit of uncondescending advice.
Some get smashed with charm. Guildford appears to become a mouthy, violent lech, the worst possible combination. Learning what sort of drinker you are is all part of growing up. If Guildford has to become a teetotaller like Jonny Wilkinson, then he is going to learn (hopefully) the hard way.
But let’s not treat Guildford as a public basket case just because he is an All Black. As members of a society that promotes drinking we should recognise the signs. Guildford is just one among thousands of Kiwi kids learning how to drink. Sadly there will be deaths along the way, mostly at the wheel of a car, but can we not be too hypocritically judgmental of the boys we have bred. Can we at least give the kid the space to grow up.
-Fairfax NZ
16 Nov 2011, 10:14 am
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-183: As a South African I am not saying SA policy is completely unjustified, just that working in a global environment my experiences are that those policies are not completely understood within the global arena.
Although we wouldn’t admit it, to include a team that cannot even win a tournament rated second to the Currie Cup, while we know that even top rated Currie Cup teams find the going difficult in that tournament is clearly a token gesture. Lets at least man up to that fact.
Personally, I feel that tokenism does no good no matter the circumstances.
16 Nov 2011, 10:14 am
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-188:
Cheers man. Look forward to seeing what he can do.
@grant10(grant10)-190:
Seems their backing him as their openside for the future, rather then trying to turn Carr into one. That’s my ‘guess’.
16 Nov 2011, 10:15 am
@Sasuke(Sasuke)-172: that’s very late, FS started last week already, the Lions and the Bulls started this week …. I forsee problems for problems.
16 Nov 2011, 10:16 am
watch all the u 21 stuff…..just dont recall that oke…
Nizam Carr the most gifted of the youngsters coming through imo…..
also like the 4 lock….quin Roux…..reminds me a lot of Schalk Burger Senior…..
Pity that 15 broke his leg….Justrugy reckoned he was a bok !
I think Etsebeth will also be a star….
That right wing for wp u 21 s a real prospect, as is Michael VD Spuy….
16 Nov 2011, 10:18 am
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-194: Carr would be wasted as an opensider….he should be groomed as a 8…
16 Nov 2011, 10:19 am
@Sasuke(Sasuke)-185: I cant disagree, because to be honest there are so many factors weighing in right now its almost impossible to predict how the Super 15 will go from a South African perspective.
The Bulls are a special group, who have shown the mettle to overcome massive obstacles put their way – but, I cant help but think they will suffer the loss of quite an extensive group of stalwarts. Perhaps I am wrong. They played U19 and U21 Currie Cup finals, so their succession options look good for the future.
It will be interesting. Funny, perhaps its just a bit of disappointment, but I think the only team we can expect to see ‘the same old’ from are the Sharks. I am not sure Plumtree has a plan to lift the Sharks with their current players to a Super rugby champion level. They looked pretty ordinary in the Currie Cup.
16 Nov 2011, 10:21 am
@grant10(grant10)-196: I heard Etsebeth is negotiating with the Bulls ?
16 Nov 2011, 10:22 am
sharks will surely recruit aggressively.
to lose sykes, mostert and now van staden is plainly diabolical….
and the centre problem remains…..
almost as bad as stormers losing JJ….And sadie….
not to mention Flo….the biggest loss of them all imo
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