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, 17:01 pm
@katman-16: HAHAHAHAHAHA jys ekstra skerp vandag!
16 Oct 2012, 17:05 pm
@Transformation-137:
the sad thing about that is that it actually came as a result of the sa sports minister doing so in his capacity and this forced the nz’ers into it, together with saru.
” The New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) previously resisted calls for an apology, citing advice from the New Zealand Maori Rugby Board which felt it was unnecessary.
However, it changed its mind upon learning the South African Rugby Union (SARU) was to apologise, and discussions between NZRU chief executive Steve Tew and South African officials at an International Rugby Board gathering in London led to the two organisations issuing their apologies simultaneously.
Tew today said from London that the entire issue was very complex.
“It is even more complicated in South Africa where the very people who are apologising now were victims of the regime that they are apologising for. They had a degree of urgency because they had some political pressure from their government to get on and do it. ”
just goes to show……
@NZINCHINA-138:
you got beat by a hard playing team then and had no recourse to cheating or manipulable refs, only reason why.
16 Oct 2012, 17:05 pm
@katman-149:
have a watch of the tapes and then tell me what you think or is that too difficult?
Ranger I’ve said many times Bryce had a shocker including on this thread, not much else to say really , i’m still waiting for all of England to apologise for Barnsey but you probably thought he had a good game, did you know France set a world record in that match 53 minutes without conceding one penalty such discipline from the Froggies
16 Oct 2012, 17:07 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-152:
Gerty lost his contacts that day
16 Oct 2012, 17:07 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-152: kiwis don’t apologise aren’t less they’re FORCED to…
16 Oct 2012, 17:09 pm
@NZINCHINA-153: I’ll do that, noodleboy. Right after you’ve finished looking at the behind-the-scenes tape of how they faked the moon landing. It’s out there – go ask your daddy.
16 Oct 2012, 17:10 pm
@Transformation-155:
hahaha
except when crooked Paddy apologised to the Ballsacs on behalf of the IRB.
16 Oct 2012, 17:10 pm
@NZINCHINA-154:
you have to live with yourself, china
not me.
@Transformation-155:
ok, so lets strip them of their rights at the irb and sanzar.
and maybe squeeze the purse on what we give them.
see if they ‘suddenly’ learn to be better people then.
16 Oct 2012, 17:12 pm
@Transformation-143:
god honest seriously
first time ever
@rangerman-145:
16 Oct 2012, 17:13 pm
@gunther-157: oh fark me!
he RAN to their Italian hotel like the wind was pushing him to grovel at the feet of Ted!
16 Oct 2012, 17:16 pm
@gunther-157:
that farker had no authority from his bosses whatsoever to do so. cheeky farken kiwi.
“In November 2009, O’Brien publicly apologized to New Zealand with regards to the refereeing performance of Stuart Dickinson during an international match against Italy.[5]
He subsequently issued a public apology to both Dickinson and the Australian Rugby Union for his breach of IRB protocol in making his comments public rather than going through official channels for commenting on referee performance.[6]
16 Oct 2012, 17:17 pm
@katman-156:
I hope you do, goodnight from China ( Black by 15 to 20)
16 Oct 2012, 17:17 pm
The real question is:
Has Suzie hung up her apron yet?
16 Oct 2012, 17:18 pm
basically got his arse grilled well and proper for doing so and was the beginning of the end of his lifetime membership at the irb.
16 Oct 2012, 17:18 pm
@Transformation-160: thats because paddy was a cheat too.
and a kiwi sychophant when he was head of reffing.
that forcing of dickensen to apologise when the eyeties basically shoved nz heads up ar se s was downright hilarious.
16 Oct 2012, 17:19 pm
Spinless,ballless,sight impaired little coward. Good riddance, feck knows how this blight ever got that Kiwi ref award after the RWC.
Oh they all so nasty, am thinking of quitting, no Brycie baby we need you, here is an award to prove it.
Feckoff and don’t let the door hit you on thearse on the way out !!!!!
16 Oct 2012, 17:20 pm
@Treehugger-166:
You’re quite aggressive for a treehugger…I think we need to put you on a boat and point you in the direction of a Japanese whaling vessel
16 Oct 2012, 17:21 pm
@Treehugger-166:
god I love a feisty sheila.
@rangerman-165:
cheat executive orificer.
16 Oct 2012, 17:21 pm
Good riddance, the game doesn’t need incompetent morons like him.
16 Oct 2012, 17:22 pm
@gunther-168: haha Cheating Fuc k i ng Onanist.
16 Oct 2012, 17:24 pm
World cups are rigged so what you getting all your twisted nappies all tied up in knots for
you got a lucky packet in 2007 and the reverse happened in 2011.. so boo hoo go cry to madam destiny in the loo
16 Oct 2012, 17:26 pm
@ahasaid theclown-171:
shut up.
there will be no crying in the loo unril you have finished tiling it.
16 Oct 2012, 17:27 pm
@gunther-168: check this fuckface creaming himself on a blog over a feisty sheila .. ever seen such a grandiose fuckface in all your life ? fckng morons united here
16 Oct 2012, 17:31 pm
@ahasaid theclown-173:
nobody is creaming themselves runtcunt.
we have more control of our bodily functions than you do old timer.
now go change your pad.
16 Oct 2012, 17:31 pm
@gunther-172: you need to get the backhand you deserve you moronic stupid imbecile that think you so f’ng smartipant.. on top of it you reckon you god’s gift to women on the blogosphere.. have you ever seen such imbecilic morons in all of creation .. not a f’ng chance
16 Oct 2012, 17:32 pm
Its amazing that he will now breed the new generation of referees in NZ, he will definitely breed pathetic young referees.
Lawrence is implying that he made up for the loss Aussies got from Ireland, by making sure Aussies won QF against the Bok game. He actually must be charged and be banned for life in rugby.
16 Oct 2012, 17:32 pm
Shut up.
16 Oct 2012, 17:32 pm
@ahasaid theclown-173: Who was responsible for our World Cup exit?
16 Oct 2012, 17:35 pm
@ahasaid theclown-175: you have the candidates for one of your Patented Bricklay Poe s klappe lined up around the corner.
surely your arm will get tired?
16 Oct 2012, 17:36 pm
@katman-177: get fucked fuckfase you don’t have ears do you punakarse? how many times you gotta be told to get fucked fuckface?
@Horings-178:
John Smit, Rassie, FdP and Burger.. with a little help from Spies
who else you wanna blame .. God?
16 Oct 2012, 17:37 pm
@ahasaid theclown-180: seriously, lets just all get along?
16 Oct 2012, 17:38 pm
@ahasaid theclown-180: Now, I just wanted confirmation of ID.
16 Oct 2012, 17:38 pm
@ahasaid theclown-175:
snoekie, I’m out for a swim and a few drinks.
I want you to behave yourself whilst I’m gone you chippy little maggot.
Any more nonsense out of you and I will report you to the clown union and we will fire you out of the noon day gun.
are we clear?
16 Oct 2012, 17:39 pm
@rangerman-179: come on the pisswilly little threesome all a grandiose glorified all three little fuckface peas in a pod.. the three pisswilly little musketeers.. come fuckfaces .. one .. two .. three.. what are we fighting for .. we fighting to save our grandiose fuckface ego’s so massively under threat from a clown…
16 Oct 2012, 17:39 pm
@gunther-183:
16 Oct 2012, 17:43 pm
@ahasaid theclown-184: huh?
i said we should all just get along?
i really sometimes feel bad for the anger we cause you, it cant be good for your heart.
16 Oct 2012, 17:43 pm
@rangerman-181: you wanna get along .. go sing it on that holy glory boy mountain of integrity you so damn fckng proud of.. you and your other 2 little punkface psuedo intelligent self annointed glorified arsecreeps
16 Oct 2012, 17:45 pm
@rangerman-186: feel bad for yourself fckface .. the only one getting anything beat up here is you and your pisswilly little over inflated ego.. yours and your other two little sideswiping self glorifying pricks.
16 Oct 2012, 18:00 pm
167@WP-Forever. Lol am not a hippy, Have been a signed up member for a few years, have to many animal responsibilities here and huge waiting list, passive resistance does not work for some of us and you get no where and very seldom achieve your objective, but you do get endless kuk from authorities and people here even without proof.
16 Oct 2012, 18:01 pm
@ahasaid theclown-187: ok, let hostilities resume
16 Oct 2012, 18:02 pm
@Treehugger-189: did you hear the very sad news about the female leopard in the lydenburg area?
16 Oct 2012, 18:04 pm
@gunther-168: Bath time was fun
16 Oct 2012, 18:08 pm
cry me a river! what does bryce want? an apology? a medal? did we hurt your feelings? pffffft yoh some people
16 Oct 2012, 18:11 pm
@rangerman-191: No, been preparing 90% chance of new arrivals tomorrow so just using my BB now quickly before another endless meeting. What happened ? Though I will most proberly find out later.
16 Oct 2012, 18:24 pm
@Treehugger-194: ag it happened a couple weeks ago already.
parkie got badly mauled by a wounded female leopard.
very very sad as the parkie eventually shot her dead when she came back to finish him off.
she was shot about 12 hours before by a trapper who is assisting with collaring the leopards in that area to show they are under pressure and in an attempt to shut down the leopard destruction permits and hunting permits.
my mate is filming the study.
they got word a trap had fired and went to dart her but she got loose when they were about 7m from her and she nailed the trapper.
he had a shotgun and fired at her, wouldning her back leg and the parkie later went in against the trappers and farmers advice, to try finish her off as she was now considered a danger to humans and she nailed him PROPER.
very sad all round and my mate is gutted.
16 Oct 2012, 18:34 pm
Fecking incompetence !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
16 Oct 2012, 18:38 pm
@Treehugger-196: the leopard?
ja maybe hugs, by the parkie who nearly paid for it with his life.
but the traps they were using are basically lasoos that catch one leg reducing the amount of damage these cats do to themselves in a traditional cage trap (they sometimes lose teeth and even toes).
inevitable that one will come loose eventually but the trap rate is over 99% amd those animals are usually all released unharmed.
it was very sad but the cause is good.
16 Oct 2012, 18:40 pm
No sob-stories or excuses Bryce, you were never good enough to officiate test rugby.
16 Oct 2012, 18:41 pm
WC2011 was an inside job.
16 Oct 2012, 18:43 pm
@Big Hit-199: yes it was.
bryce confirmed it.
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