South Africa rugby chief wants crack down on 'hot-headed thugs'

South Africa Rugby president Mark Alexander is writing to all 15 member unions demanding a crack down on “hot-headed thugs” who physically or verbally abuse match officials by banning them for life.

It follows a second incident involving the assault of a referee in the Eastern Province region of the country.

As a result, Alexander wants disciplinary panels to take immediate action when an issue arises and throw those guilty out of the sport. He told South African media: “These hot-headed thugs who physically assault officials have no place in the sport and should be banned for life from participating or attending.

“We must protect our match officials – without whom there would be no sport – and the message must out go out in the strongest possible terms that such actions will not be tolerated.

“Attacks on referees are rare but when they occur provinces must not hesitate to act.

“These attacks have been condemned by the relevant unions and I trust they will follow through by bringing these matters before disciplinary committees. I shall be repeating our message of ‘zero tolerance’ for such behaviour with our members.

“There can be no sympathy or toleration of the assailants. There is no reason at all why anyone involved should lay a hand on a match official. If it does not happen in the most pressured environment of Test rugby, why should it happen at a club match? It must be clamped down on most severely.”