Axed Premiership referee JP Doyle breaks his silence following RFU redundancy
Former Gallagher Premiership referee JP Doyle has broken his silence about the RFU redundancy that has ended his long connection with top-flight rugby in England. After his name was marked absent from the opening two rounds of appointments for the recently restarted 2019/20 Premiership, it emerged that the popular Irishman had lost his job due to the overall financial cutbacks affecting English rugby HQ at Twickenham.
Amid claims that the RFU face losses of up to £107million and that 139 jobs across the organisation had to go, the ten-strong full-time panel of referees learned earlier this summer that their jobs were also on the line.
That process eventually resulted in the release of the popular 41-year-old who had been refereeing in the Premiership since 2006 and was a full-time RFU employee since 2010. There have since been calls for Doyle to join up with the Guinness PRO14 where there is regular criticism about its inconsistent refereeing standards.
However, appearing on the latest episode of The Rugby Pod, the show hosted by Andy Goode and Jim Hamilton, Doyle said he was biding his time before his next move and added that he could even return to reaching, his old profession before he became a full-time referee.
Explaining his redundancy after a ten-year full-time stint, he said: “Services no longer required unfortunately due to Covid and the cutbacks at the RFU and the business of the business, I guess. Sport is sport and you have to take your licks and get on with it.
One of the best referees in the game, @jpref9 joined the lads this week to chat redundancy, career plans and just what it takes to be at the top of your game for so long.
Best of luck for the future JP ?
Watch the full video here ?https://t.co/DzVsUBbZkA
— The Rugby Pod (@TheRugbyPod) August 26, 2020
“When redundancies are happening, and there is a lot of people going through that at the moment, you have just got to go through the process and what will out will out. Often you speak to people and these are great opportunities to reset and go again.
“The best way I can describe it is it’s a very sad and sudden stop. I’d love to be doing a game this weekend but there are great refs out there. There are other guys who can do the games. I’d only love to be out there for me because I really love doing it and I really like being out there. The teams, the coaches, supporters, the support staff around the teams who I used to really enjoy being involved with.
“Look, the game will go on. There will be other people to do the games and they will referee them brilliantly. The RFU have got a great set-up, great referees. For me, it’s sad and it’s sudden. Yeah, I feel gutted but rugby goes on, sport goes on.
“The situation is what the situation is. It has been pretty public what is going on at the RFU. They are having to do what they have to do to ensure the future. The future of the game is far more important than the future of JP Doyle. That is what we have got to remember.
“We want rugby to be bigger and better and brighter and kick on. Rugby doesn’t need me. I love the game but the game loves nobody. It’s okay. It moves on and you reassess and go again. It is sad but it’s okay as well.
“The ironic thing is the last thing I did (as an RFU employee) was a bronco test. I was good to go (for the English season restart) but it wasn’t to be. With PRO14, they have their guys, they have their panel and it is also run by their unions.
“They have their guys coming through that they want to develop and want to get better. Sure, if someone asked me to go and referee I’d take a look but for them, it’s important to develop their referees. They have great refs, all the countries have international refs. They want to bring more through, so you can understand where they are with that.”
Not being at a rugby ground somewhere in England in recent weekends, though, is taking Doyle a bit of time getting used to. “What is weird and what is great is the last two weekends I have been able to actually see people at weekends,” he explained.
“I can come across and have a beer and a bowl of crisps on a Saturday afternoon and that has been lovely. I’m sure that will wear thin. I was a school teacher before this so I can go back.
“If I miss out and leave rugby I will be sad. Maybe there is something in and around the media I would love to do, but Covid is contracting everything at the moment so we are just eyes open, wide awake to see what we can find out there. I loved teaching before I came into rugby and I still do. We’ll just see what happens.”
Excellent to see the rugby family weigh in behind JP after what must be a sickening blow https://t.co/untJCxCUX4
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 21, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
The Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
3 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
3 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
30 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
3 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
30 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
30 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
30 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to comments