Before the 2023 Rugby World Cup opens, can World Rugby please vet all video referees for impartiality and racism issues?
Case in point is the Flying Fijians Test match against Japan on Saturday, August 5, 2023, in winning the Pacific Nations Cup.
This game, apart from Vilimoni Botitu’s HIA exit, was marred by the video referee’s decisions on Fiji’s last four tries and Sireli Maqala’s yellow card.
TMO – Brendon Pickerill (NZR), the video referee for this Fiji vs Japan game, should have his credentials and impartiality rechecked by World Rugby. His five crucial calls against the Flying Fijians border on racism.
His call on Tevita Ikanivere’s try for obstruction on his run towards the try line by Peni Ravai on a Japanese player in transition who had no chance of ever catching Ikanivere.
And yet, when Jone Naikabula scored his first try for Japan, you can clearly see a Japanese player pulling Jiuta Wainiqolo’s jersey and holding on to him to prevent him from tackling Jone.
But that was never called out by Pickerill?
Maqala’s yellow card was another concern. Maqala is short and his tackle on the six-foot plus Japanese, who tried to run past him, whereby their shoulders touched first and the Japanese, on forcing his way forward, brushed his face against Maqala’s shoulder and Maqala still managed to pull him down with him.
In this instance, just because of the referee who mitigated on Maqala’s behalf, he was issued a yellow card for a non-issue!
Fiji’s last try was again called into question by Pickerill for a potential “forward pass” a minute or so after the try and to the referee’s credit and to prevent his refereeing of this game turning into a farcical entity, awarded the try.
World Rugby, please use fair officials. “Toso Viti, toso”.
Story By: Epeli Rabua
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