IT is a scandal that three days before one of the rarest and most treasured rugby events on the planet – a once in 12 years series between the Lions and Springboks – the South African referee Marius Jonker was appointed as the TMO for the First Test.
The South Africans have long been known for dirty tricks when it comes to hosting touring teams, but Jonker’s appointment, which bears World Rugby’s stamp of approval, is in a league of its own.
What we are seeing here is the lousy administration of the professional end of the sport using the convenient cloak of Covid in an attempt to mask its...