Les arbitres ont concentré la moitié des faits de cyber harcèlement de la Coupe du Monde de Rugby 2023
World Rugby n’a pas choisi la date par hasard pour rendre public le bilan de son action de lutte contre le harcèlement en ligne pendant la Coupe du Monde de Rugby 2023 en France.
Le lendemain de la parution sortira le documentaire très attendu sur le quotidien des arbitres pendant le mondial. Whistleblowers sera diffusé en exclusivité et gratuitement sur RugbyPassTV à compter du 1er février.
Un documentaire choc qui raconte de l’intérieur comment les officiels de match ont vécu la compétition. Là où l’on voyait du spectacle depuis les tribunes ou devant nos écrans, eux essuyaient des torrents de haine et de menaces. Une situation qui a conduit l’arbitre international Wayne Barnes, arbitre central de la finale de France 2023, à remiser pour de bon le sifflet, de même que l’arbitre vidéo de la finale, Tom Foley, lui aussi menacé de mort.
Même côté joueurs les défections ont été notables à l’image du capitaine de l’Angleterre Owen Farrell qui a souhaité s’éloigner des terrains internationaux pour préserver son bien-être mental et celui de sa famille.
Plus de 1 600 comptes signalés
Ces faits ne sont pas une dramatisation d’un ressenti vécu par certaines personnes. Dans une étude inédite publiée ce 31 janvier, World Rugby dévoile l’ampleur du phénomène vécu lors de la Coupe du Monde de Rugby 2023.
C’est le cabinet Signify Group qui a été chargé de veiller sur ce volet encore inédit dans un tel évènement rugbystique. Au final, plus de 900 comptes ont été surveillés, et plus de 1 600 comptes abusifs ont été signalés aux plateformes, entraînant la suppression de 90 % des contenus les plus graves.
Les données recueillies révèlent que les officiels de match, y compris les arbitres vidéo, ont été confrontés à une vague d’abus considérable, représentant 49 % de tous les incidents répertoriés au cours de la compétition.
Trois officiels de match se retrouvent même parmi les dix personnes les plus visées de la compétition. En tête du classement, Wayne Barnes a personnellement subi un tiers de toutes les injures constatées. Cette statistique souligne l’ampleur du problème et la nécessité de s’attaquer à cette forme d’abus.
Les arbitres et leurs familles harcelés jusque sur leur messagerie privée
Étonnamment, les officiels de match ont constitué la quatrième « équipe » la plus maltraitée du tournoi, surpassant même certaines des équipes demi-finalistes. Ces chiffres mettent en lumière la pression croissante exercée sur les officiels de match, soulignant la nécessité d’une action collective pour lutter contre ce phénomène.
Un aspect particulièrement troublant de ces abus réside dans le ciblage des officiels de match et de leurs familles directement sur leur messagerie privée. Ces incidents ont été si graves qu’ils ont nécessité l’intervention des forces de l’ordre, soulignant l’urgence d’une protection accrue pour ces acteurs essentiels du sport.
Un cyberharcèlement venu majoritairement d’Europe
En analysant l’origine géographique des comptes abusifs vérifiés, on observe une répartition inégale : 58% des abus venaient d’Europe, 19% d’Afrique, 10% d’Océanie et 3% d’Amérique du Sud dont trois équipes sur 20 concouraient (Argentine, Uruguay et Chili).
Au total, 19 équipes ont été la cible d’abus ciblés sur leurs comptes officiels, avec deux nations européennes figurant parmi les trois équipes les plus maltraitées.
Une personne jugée en Australie
World Rugby a confirmé qu’une personne en Australie faisait actuellement l’objet de poursuites pour des comportements abusifs en ligne. Des procédures similaires sont en cours dans d’autres juridictions.
World Rugby annonce également la prolongation de son partenariat avec Signify Group afin de garantir la protection des officiels de match internationaux participant aux compétitions masculines et féminines en 2024.
Comments on RugbyPass
You have got to consider that if the situation was flipped and the French were held to a salary cap with no English equivalent, the English would laugh in their faces and tell them to get over it. As for Leinster (as a fan), the central contract system is a dream but is guilty of cutting out the other 3 provinces. At the end of the day, it comes across outside of the English border that the Premiership is drowning and trying to take everyone else with it rather than adapt. The English lose, the English want new rules. We've seen this repeat (and once it even led to the current Champions Cup) You make many good and informed points, but if the flip was on the other flop, it wouldn't be Rugby’s problem I suspect - it would be a French one.
13 Go to commentsSeems to have been a bright start but it tailed off. To win the big matches you have to get used to putting your foot on the throttle and your opponent’s necks in an 80 minutes performance which is what the All Blacks were renowned for. An example in the Women’s game is England v Ireland in the 6N match played at Twickenham in April. Watch on YouTube.
1 Go to commentsBobby has been a first grade bonehead since high school. Like a true Cape Tonian, his own reflection is more important than anything else.
1 Go to commentsNo comment on the textbook red card for Ramm that was just ignored? Amazing that
4 Go to commentsThese rule changes have been implemented with good intentions, but much like every other rule change focus on isolated symptoms instead of the root cause. If you cannot croc roll, and cannot risk any head contact with a front on clear out, it is not clear how you are supposed to lawfully clear someone out who is attempting a jackal. This will backfire massively and lead to substantially more kicking. Teams will simply not want to take the ball into contact. Or it will lead to even more dangerous methods to clear players out who are over the ball. I much prefer having the set piece on a 30 second shot clock over no scrum on a short arm infringement. Resets are not a problem in themselves, but 90 second water and tactics breaks before every scrum are a big problem. Trainers constantly coming on to the field to help players pull their socks up and delaying the game are a problem. DuPont law was a blight on the game and should have been changed the day after it was first implemented.
79 Go to commentsAh yes, the opinion of Andy Goode… Andy Goode, the man who knows what some of the Irish players said to Eben Etzebeth after the QF, better than what Eben himself knows. And, judging by this piece, the Grandmaster of clichés.
4 Go to commentsI think this is a fair view. As a South African I am concerned about the depowering of the scrum but let’s be honest, until the SA vs FRA quarter many people didn’t even know you could take a scrum from a free kick. As you say it’s going to come down to interpretation… until then we don’t really know how this is going to impact the game. That would lead to my own objection. Do the unknowns of changing a law outweigh the cons of said law. With such an obscure law that most people had never heard of, one that had never really had an impact on the game in the first place is it worth changing to invite so much uncertainty. Better the devil you know then the devil you don’t as it were…
4 Go to comments162 comments so far and counting. i didn't realize that rugby fans are on the way to join the football brothers. what is the point to share personal opinion only to get all this shi*? it seems IRB bosses are doing the great job by killing the spirit of the game both on and outside the pitch. too sad, indeed. btw, was there anything on eben’s point of view from the boys in green, who he mentioned?
164 Go to commentsJob done guys. Great win in a game where things can quickly go wrong.
1 Go to commentsAlex Sanderson fantastic coach and person .So pleased he has signed another contract great days ahead for Sale under his leadership.
1 Go to commentsAndy Goode cant kick to 12
164 Go to commentsDoxed himself. Great work Johnny. You are well suited to the Saders
1 Go to comments_Best game players _
1 Go to commentsWho's Jarrad Hohepa?
1 Go to commentsSo let me get this straight. Say you have the dominant scrum. You are 99% sure you can go for a scrum pushover try on the line to win the game. The opposition knows it too. They give away a silly tap kick instead. You are now not allowed to scrum. This is ridiculous! *%@ing the game up as usual! The fact that the attacking teams are not allowed to scrum from a held up over the line is just as ridiculous. Really world rugby? Careful people might start a rebel league called True Rugby or Real Rugby.
79 Go to comments12 subs during a game? How has that been allowed to happen NB? I hate when the game goes in this monopolistic direction closing up shop, it just becomes non sport. Btw have you seen anything of how Liam Coltman was tracking for Lyon? He has just signed to return to Otago though we have a couple of young hookers developing here. He was a popular gentle natured character down here and I’m glad to see him back but maybe he will be a mentor primarily?
13 Go to commentsGreat breakdown and the global politics always confuses me a little. The southern hemisphere seems to be left out a bit but I wouldn’t even know where to start with fixing it. Club challenge could be a step in the right direction
13 Go to commentsSince he coached Free state, from that time onwards, I maintained he was the coach for the Boks. A nice, no nonsense guy with an excellent brain, who gets results.
11 Go to commentswell - they only played against 14 men and had the TMO team on their side - and still should have lost… so actually that makes sense.
35 Go to commentsSouthern hemisphere Rugby is exactly that, boring. Northern Hemisphere Rugby is soooo much more entertaining and better with better players.
2 Go to comments