Italian referee Andre Piardi made history on Saturday by becoming the first Italian to officiate a British & Irish Lions Test match, taking charge of the second Test between Australia and the Lions in Melbourne. His performance, however, was overshadowed by controversy after he allowed Hugo Keenan’s match-clinching try, much to the dismay of Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt, who criticised the decision not to penalise Jac Morgan for a clear-out on Carlo Tizzano.
World Rugby chief executive Alan Gilpin has called for greater respect towards match officials, citing the intense scrutiny and abuse they face. “We’ve got match officials who, when they’re criticised publicly, are having their families targeted outside the school gates,” Gilpin said, adding that the mental health of officials must be prioritised. “That’s not good, that’s not fair, and that’s not right, so we’ve got to support these guys.”
World Rugby chairman Brett Robinson highlighted the lasting impact of such criticism, referencing Nic Berry, who was heavily abused after the 2021 Lions series in South Africa. “You talk to Nic today and he is still incredibly scarred by the abuse and trolling that happened to him,” Robinson said. “This reinforces why we have to protect our officials. Without these people turning up every week we don’t have a game.”
Gilpin described Schmidt’s post-match outburst as “disappointing” but acknowledged the emotion of the moment. He confirmed that the outcome of the post-match review would not be made public, though the findings would be shared with Schmidt and his coaching team to help them understand the officiating for the next Test. “Joe’s got a view about what was wrong with that decision and there’ll be a debate about that,” Gilpin said, adding that World Rugby continues to work on consistency in officiating.
The debate comes amid broader discussions about player welfare and investment in the sport, with Gilpin also addressing the proposed R360 rebel league and the upcoming Nations Cup tournament, which is set to be finalised next month.
