Bryce hangs up whistle
16 Oct 2012
New Zealand referee Bryce Lawrence has retired after officiating his 200th first-class match.
Lawrence, who faced mass criticism from the South African rugby fraternity after his poor performance during the Wallabies’ victory over the Springboks in the 2011 World Cup quarter-finals, became the fourth Kiwi official to reach the 200-match mark. He follows Paddy O’Brien (221 matches), Paul Honiss (220) and Steve Walsh (210).
Lawrence also refereed 25 Tests and 60 Super Rugby games.
He told the Bay of Plenty Times that he was forced into retirement because of the threats he received after the World Cup.
‘It got pretty bad,’ said Lawrence. \Not really threats on my family as such, there was a concern, but it was mainly aimed at me through social media. On Facebook they launched a ‘get rid of Bryce Lawrence’ site and it was pretty nasty.
‘That was absolutely the reason for my career change. I got told at the end of the World Cup that I would have a break from Test rugby for the Six Nations and I could totally accept that as there has to be a consequence for poor performance.
‘I was told I would be brought back in the middle of this year, as I was ranked in the top three or four referees in the world. But because of the political reaction from rugby unions like Australia and South Africa behind the scenes, they dropped me.
‘Sanzar used me but not in South Africa, so eventually they said it was getting tough having you in the draw, because we have to keep making changes to keep you in the system when you are not going to South Africa, so see you later. So I knew I was not able to referee at the level I needed to be re-contracted, really – all because of that one game.’
Lawrence also admitted that there was outside influence going into the Wallabies-Springbok quarter-final clash.
‘I went into the game knowing it was a massive match and I didn’t want to overly influence the outcome and that was in the back of my mind. The way that transpired was I didn’t make decisions and if I had my time again I would just go out there and do what I normally do, which is just referee and back myself.
‘I had four really good games at the World Cup and then I had that. I had outside pressure from pretty senior people from rugby countries behind the scenes that really created my mindset of lacking confidence to deliver what I normally do.
‘There was some pretty nasty political stuff going on about that appointment. I refereed Australia versus Ireland and Ireland had won but behind the scenes guys like [Australian CEO] John O’Neill were kicking up a massive stink. I knew a bit about that and it was enough to affect me, and it probably made me freeze on the biggest stage.’
Lawrence take on a new post as the NZRU High Performance referee reviewer.
Kiwi referees Vinny Munro and Keith Brown will also retire at the end of the New Zealand Cup.
576 Comments
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16 Oct 2012, 16:00 pm
@NZINCHINA-46: Who the fark is GERTY??
16 Oct 2012, 16:00 pm
@Transformation-43: Open cheaters. No shame…..unbelievable. I guess that’s what happens when its been 20 something years since you have won a world cup. You get desperate and you cheat. Bryce was their trump card. The Boks were never going to win that game – no matter how well they played.
16 Oct 2012, 16:00 pm
@NZINCHINA-33: Come on, noodleboy, this blog lives in the virtual democratic west. Here it works like this: If you want to make an outrageous statement, the onus is on you to show where and how this happened.
And I said the onus is on you. With an o. Before you get all sweaty.
16 Oct 2012, 16:01 pm
@rangerman-49:
you wouldn’t have beaten Nz at the garden of Eden nobody but black wins there
16 Oct 2012, 16:02 pm
@katman-53:
Ask your own commentators they were the first to say it
16 Oct 2012, 16:03 pm
@NZINCHINA-46: thats not an apology buddy.
still waiting…
as for your mythical “gert said” stories, i doubt you can point me to a quote can you?
how about an article from the press outside nz?
whereas the “get the japies” and now brycunts admission have been globally reported sonny, globally.
the most tainted wc ever, makes a mockery of fair play or rugby ethics but then again, you guys donbt care as long as you win right?
16 Oct 2012, 16:04 pm
@NZINCHINA-55: Ha ha, so in other words you can’t? Or are you still looking?
16 Oct 2012, 16:04 pm
Cheers Bryce you farking sh ithead.
16 Oct 2012, 16:04 pm
@NZINCHINA-41:
Somoa are a filthy team (think 15 Bakkies).
SA (who I admit can dish it out) controlled themselves pretty well in what could have become a free for all brawl.
No one is saying SA would have won the WC, but why is it so hard for you to admit that Bryce kicked the Boks out, not Aus.
16 Oct 2012, 16:05 pm
@NZINCHINA-55: I can’t speak with you re 1976 as I wasn’t even born then.
But the way I understand it, even if you did win the final test, you would not have won the series.
What are you bitchin about?
16 Oct 2012, 16:06 pm
@NZINCHINA-54:
Not the point. The point is that Bryce never allowed the Boks to even have a chance at a semi.
By his own admission he farked it up, and NZL still gives him ref of they year?? Reminds me of the whole ‘gold watch’ incident in 95.
16 Oct 2012, 16:06 pm
@NZINCHINA-54: you are speculating!
the point is your Ref of the Year, cheated!
look up for an admission, yet you’re here talking s.hit to us.
16 Oct 2012, 16:07 pm
@NZINCHINA-50: differenet team, different time sonny.
no one is saying the boks would have won, we are saying that we were robbed of the chance and bryce lawrence has come partially clean about it.
wouldnt it be awesome to hook him up to a polygraph for just an hour?
surely that would settle everything and we could all get some closure on the issue?
16 Oct 2012, 16:08 pm
@Dusky-52:
Dusky don’t be silly you wouldn’t have won at the garden of Eden, you haven’t won there since Hitler was in power, lets discuss the state of the game right now, we beat Aus by 15 to 20 in Brisbane clean sweep the northerners and go unbeaten for 21 games straight, have a massive lead in the world rankings, have every trophy in world rugby and Read or Ritchie are awarded the IRB player of the year, that’s what’s going to happen so it looks like its going to be a sour old Chrissy for you.
16 Oct 2012, 16:09 pm
@NZINCHINA-55: ah so you understand afrikaans jou donnerse onnoselse keewee?
jy moet wakker skrik want jou hele rugby-unie is vol skelms.
16 Oct 2012, 16:09 pm
@NZINCHINA-54: Thats what you said about the house of pain as well and you got moerred.
16 Oct 2012, 16:09 pm
@rangerman-56: i know tony johnson reads keo and the supersport blogs he writes for and i’m hoping he’ll be HONEST enough to interrogate this admission by Bryce.
unless he is also inherently duplicitous~!
16 Oct 2012, 16:10 pm
@rangerman-65: Hehehehe.
16 Oct 2012, 16:10 pm
@rangerman-63:
It is odd how some Kiwi’s won’t admit that Bryce had a shocker (and that’s putting it mildly).
They really do have a ‘Kiwi Rugby God’ complex, where they honestly believe that their players (and officials) can do no wrong.
16 Oct 2012, 16:11 pm
@NZINCHINA-64: well when you get your just rewards for your countrymans disgusting behaviour we will laugh buddy, oh how we will laugh.
and the world will laugh with us
now its clear why there hasnt been a hollywood offer for this last wc, no one wants to touch it with a bargepole
16 Oct 2012, 16:11 pm
@londonshark-69: Oor hulle n klomp dose is…
16 Oct 2012, 16:12 pm
“I had outside pressure from pretty senior people from rugby countries”
People and countries in the plural. Only NZ and Aus would have benifited from this, but he only mentions O’Neill. I therefore have to make the conclusion that a New Zealander who is “pretty senior” also influenced him. Can it be Paddy O’Brien, best friend of the suspect’s dad and head of the IRB’s refereeing panel?
I think SA rugby should look to investigate this and they should lay criminal charges.
16 Oct 2012, 16:12 pm
@NZINCHINA-64: Cheated. End of story.
16 Oct 2012, 16:13 pm
@Transformation-67: tony is bought and paid for imo, he could never interrogate this or he would be lynched in nz.
this action was bought into by an entire society desperate for wc success, thats why no kiwi will even admit the possibility.
look at china here obfuscating and wriggling like a wem yet he wont even refer to bryces admissions?
it laughable but i guess its hard to see from the kiwi perspective.
16 Oct 2012, 16:14 pm
@rangerman-70: “now its clear why there hasnt been a hollywood offer for this last wc, no one wants to touch it with a bargepole”
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA ungiqedile!
16 Oct 2012, 16:14 pm
@Horings-72: No need. Just send the etter to Loftus on a Saturday afternoon at about five and stick his *** down in beer tent.
16 Oct 2012, 16:14 pm
Ok let me find some quotes but why bother you all know what happened in 76′
16 Oct 2012, 16:16 pm
@NZINCHINA-77: Ja FFS I made a comment in 76………
16 Oct 2012, 16:16 pm
@rangerman-74:
I just said Bryce had a shocker, can you now please comment on Gerty in 76′?
16 Oct 2012, 16:17 pm
Also take into account that the same coach that coached NZ in 2007 was sure match fixing occured in 2007. No-one has mentioned the so called match fixing from 2007-2011. Can it be that coach Henry investigated how to get into this match fixing scheme? I mean he has a fellow Kiwi at the head of the IRB refereeing panel.
If Lance Armstrong can lose his 7 tour de France titles, surely the All Blacks can lose their world cup winning title?
16 Oct 2012, 16:18 pm
@KWAGGA ROBERTSE-78: I was 1 in ’76
16 Oct 2012, 16:18 pm
@NZINCHINA-77: dont come slithering back with quotes from kiwi players or admin staff china, they will be dismissed with the contempt they deserve as bryce has proved the word of a kiwi rugby man is not to be taken at face value.
16 Oct 2012, 16:19 pm
@NZINCHINA-79: And who was that ref in ’81? “This series should have a winner”
16 Oct 2012, 16:20 pm
is it too soon to say:
I TOLD YOU SO!
fark
snake
filth
i knew it
i knew it
i farken knew it
16 Oct 2012, 16:21 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-84: Jy oraait ou maat?
16 Oct 2012, 16:24 pm
All Saffas should start getting over this now. Let the man retire in peace!
16 Oct 2012, 16:24 pm
@NZINCHINA-79: i cant.
have never watched the games.
stay on track, i feel you are building yourslf up for that apology….
16 Oct 2012, 16:24 pm
@NZINCHINA-79: Bryce didn’t have a shocker. He cheated to help the knuckle dragging neanderthals into the final.
16 Oct 2012, 16:25 pm
@JAWESOME-86: Do you think what is said on this blog affects the little p#ssy ?
16 Oct 2012, 16:25 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-84: Your first comment is at nr 84. Your last comment is at …
Bets anyone? I say post nr 880.
16 Oct 2012, 16:26 pm
And we are all surprised why?
Would love to see how some of the big mouth kiwi trolls on here will try spin this little confession
16 Oct 2012, 16:26 pm
@Transformation-75: Exactly. The follow up to Invictus would have to be titled Injustice.
16 Oct 2012, 16:26 pm
@JAWESOME-86: ja he can retire in peace but will forever be branded spineless.
did he think this sh i t wouldnt follow him around?
maybe he forgot the entire rugby world was watching?
fark even the aussie journos were embarassed.
16 Oct 2012, 16:28 pm
@rangerman-93: Any referee that affects the outcome of a tournament can rot in hell. Steve Walsh is another.
16 Oct 2012, 16:29 pm
Said to my girlfriend, “Please get me a newspaper.”
“Don’t be silly,” she replied, “you can borrow my iPad.”
That fly never knew what fcking hit it …
16 Oct 2012, 16:29 pm
@rangerman-93: Not just in peace but most likely in comfort too. I’m guessing he and O’Neil have matching villas in Spain with his and hers Porsche 911s in the drive as we speak.
16 Oct 2012, 16:29 pm
@KWAGGA ROBERTSE-85:
het jy die donderse artikel gelees kwagga?
dis duidelik wat hier aan die gaan is vir die afgeloope 20 jare al.
dan word dit gese ‘ek’ is die f.okken vuilgoed troll..?..
f.okken kiwis….
16 Oct 2012, 16:30 pm
@katman-92:
we will hear endlessly about 2007 nz vs france now as though a missed forward pass (like the one in the same game leading to mccallisters try) is the same as an entire 80 mins of blatant ignoring the rules of the game?
i sense we have not heard the last of brycies rants because he doesnt strike me as the type who can control the little nasal whine that escapes his lips.
unless he is made a nzru employee for life and is seen driving through wellington in a ferrari
16 Oct 2012, 16:30 pm
@katman-96: haha, snap!
16 Oct 2012, 16:31 pm
@Horings-90:
did you read the ariticle?
shocking!
shocking!
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