Welsh referee Craig Evans has received support after publicly responding to online abuse from a supporter following a contentious Super Rygbi Cymru match.
Evans officiated Thursday night's clash between Llandovery and Ebbw Vale at Church Bank. The game was overshadowed by a first-half incident when Ebbw Vale were reduced to 14 men after a red card for second-row Curtis Gregory.
Red Card Incident
The lock was shown a straight red card for stamping on the leg of Drovers captain Joe Powell. Evans intervened in the 35th minute and explained his decision to the Ebbw Vale captain, saying: "We have a stamp by this player. I did ask the question if anything aggravated it. My AR (assistant referee) didn't see anything. It's a stamp on the leg. Red card. Permanent."
The incident has been widely criticised, with footage of the stamp going global.
Fan Backlash and Response
Despite Ebbw Vale coming back to win the match, one fan took issue with other decisions on the night. The user posted on X: "Craig Evans, you f*****g bottlejob! Yellow needs to come there. Double figures for the game, back to back in the red zone."
Evans quoted the now-deleted post and replied: "(T)hanks for tonight's game review and positive comments mate. I’ll certainly take absolutely none of them on board."
Support from Rugby Figures
The referee's response drew positive reactions. Former Wales centre Tom Shanklin said: "Brilliant response." Ex-Ospreys fly-half Shaun Connor added: "Great game butty, well done." Another user responded: "Need more of this to silence the X numpties! Well put!"
