Veteran referee Tappe Henning says his appointment as the new head of match officials for the Vodacom United Rugby Championship is one of the most challenging roles of his career.
His job is to help get all the referees, coaches and players on the same page of a United Rugby Championship that is redefining world rugby with its melting pot of different cultures and different playing styles between the teams of the north and the south.
Dialogue is key in this process, and Henning has been in constant communication with coaches in both hemispheres to address their concerns and questions. “A competition like the URC is taking the watching of the game to another level entirely with new technology. With at least 12 camera angles available the fan is now on the field and not just in the stands anymore. There are replays and zoom-ins and highlights. There is more information around a decision than ever before. It’s changed the game and we absolutely support that.
Henning has tremendous respect for the URC as a product and says his fellow match officials share this. “We’re doing this because we owe it to the product. The coaches are passionate about this competition, and so are the match officials.” “There will obviously be growing pains with such a unique tournament between hemispheres. But it’s so exciting, and as referees we need to play our part to contribute to this unbelievably exciting competition between six of the top 10 unions in world rugby. We embrace that. As match officials I can assure you we are motivated to make our contribution as best we can.
“He phoned John Lacey and asked for similar pointers to look out for. All the referees are buying into this process to make the decisions more consistent, and to create understanding and respect for the culture they’re dealing with – the culture of the club and how to deliver a better performance to how the teams want to play.
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