World Rugby ready to launch prosecutions against online trolls in FIVE countries
World Rugby is ready to answer Wayne Barnes’ call for urgent action on social media abuse by launching prosecutions against trolls in FIVE different countries.
Englishman Barnes was subjected to ‘vile’ death threats after refereeing the World Cup final. Previously, his family had been targeted, his wife receiving threats of sexual violence.
Barnes quit soon after, followed this week by Tom Foley, the television match official in that same final, who said he was turning his back on the international game due to a “torrent of criticism and abuse”.
With England captain Owen Farrell stepping down from the Test arena for an indeterminate period due to similar treatment and team mate Tom Curry also getting online death threats this autumn, the sport finds itself at crisis point.
On Monday Kyle Sinckler admitted he “wouldn’t be surprised” if more international players sought to take a break, claiming this is “only the beginning”.
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Not a moment too soon World Rugby is fighting back, revealing it has been able to “unmask and identify abusers and take action through law enforcement agencies”.
England captain Owen Farrell is taking a break from Test rugby to prioritise his and his family's mental well-being (PA Wire)Working with data science company Signify Group, which uses a AI-driven Threat Matrix service to root out online abusers, rugby’s global governing body claims to have the perpetrators in its sights.
It describes this development as a “ground breaking moment for sport in general”.
A spokesperson said: "The authorities are beginning to take their first prosecutions thanks to this programme and It looks like we’ll be successful in taking action against the worst kind of abuse in a number of different jurisdictions.
Tom Curry speaks to ref Ben O’Keeffe during World Cup semi-final against South Africa (PA)“Constructive debate, criticism that's fair game, that’s never going to change. This is not about muzzling free speech, it is about protecting people, their families from racial, sexual, discriminatory and threatening behaviour, including death threats, which is just not acceptable.
“People are misguided if they feel that an alias, or whatever they might have on social, protects them,” the spokesperson added. “Even if a person hides behind an alias they can be identified and charged.
“In multiple countries we hope prosecutions will send a clear message that such behaviour is not tolerated.
South Africa scrum-half Cobus Reinach“We will continue to do everything possible to protect and support our international match officials and their families, by bringing abusers to justice.”
World Rugby declared its intention to hunt down the individual responsible for sending a death threat to South Africa scrum-half Cobus Reinach during the World Cup. Nothing appeared to come of it.
But prosecutions take time and the authority said it was “even more confident now of meaningful action as referrals are translating into charges”.
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Kyle Sinckler has warned more players may follow Owen Farrell's lead and take a break from international rugbyIt is too much to hope even this very real threat of prosecution will resolve the practise of abuse which is societal rather than specific to any sport.
This year two former RFU Council members have been banned from Twickenham for making racist slurs towards black volunteers.
But is is a long-overdue starting point. As the World Rugby spokesperson put it: “If we can make a stand in this area it will serve as a massive deterrent.”
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