Matthew Luddington talks to two referees at the lower end of the game about the trials of taking charge of a match

IN TODAY’S digital age, referees are under more scrutiny than ever before. Rassie Erasmus’ Twitter attacks on officials have undermined rugby’s traditional notion of respecting referees’ decisions on and off the field.
Graham Henry questioned the integrity of referee Wayne Barnes’ performance in New Zealand’s World Cup quarter-final defeat to France in 2007, leading to Barnes receiving death threats and being voted the third most hated man in New Zealand that year behind Saddam...