Last season's (2011/12)

round 1- Treviso v Connacht: Dudley Phillips (IRFU, 16th competition game)
round 2- Connacht v Scarlets: Marius Mitrea (FIR, 1st competition game)
round 3- Edinburgh v Connacht: Alan Falzone (FIR, 4th competition game)

round 4- Connacht v Dragons: Leighton Hodges (WRU, 7th competition game)
round 5- Ospreys v Connacht: Stefano Penne (FIR, 6th competition game)
round 6- Leinster v Connacht: Peter Fitzgibbon (IRFU, 34th competition game)

round 7- Connacht v Blues: Neil Paterson (SRU, 34th competition game)
round 8- Ulster V Connacht: John Lacey (IRFU, 14th competition game)
round 9- Connacht v Ospreys: AndrewMcMenemy (SRU, 9th competition game)

round 10- Connacht v Treviso: Neil Hennessy (WRU, 6th competition game)
round 11- Munster v Connacht: Dudley Philips (IRFU, 21st competition game)

round 12- Connacht v Leinster: John Lacey (IRFU, 17th competition game)
round 13- Aironi v Connacht: Andrew McMenemy, (SRU, 10th competition game)
round 14- Blues v Connacht: Andrew McMenemy (SRU, 11th competition game)

round 15- Connacht v Glasgow: Peter Allan (SRU, 48th competition game)
round 16- Connacht v Edinburgh: Carlo Damasco (FIR, 17th competition game)
round 17- Scarlets v Connacht: Marius Mitrea (FIR, 6th competition game)

round 18- Connacht v Munster: Neil Paterson (SRU, 38th competition game)
round 19- Dragons v Connacht: Giuseppe Vivarini (FIR, 1st competition game)
round 20- Connacht v Ulster: Dudley Phillips (IRFU, 24th competition game)

round 21- Connacht v Aironi: Ian Davies (WRU, 1st competition game)
round 22- Glasgow v Connacht: Peter Fitzgibbon (IRFU, 39th competition game)

1-5 = 4
5-10= 6
11-15= 2
16-20= 3
20-30= 2
30-40= 4
40+ =1

They responded, I put the details up 1 page back. They didn't tell me everything, I'm guess I'm unlikely to get a proper reply as I'm not involved in any official capacity, but it was a good reply all the same.

I replied again with some more points to help them see (ahem) where they were going wrong...

Umm: I take it a response from the league to your letter is still awaited?

clan clover wrote: Great Work ummmm.

After reading this i checked out the Rabo website and looked at the refs. Of the 27 refs on the panel 7 have made their debuts at a Connacht Game another 10 do not give their Debut match but you can safely say a lot of those guys also made their debut at a Connacht match. That is a seriously high proportion to put on one club.

Taking that into account, look at Connachts stats on losing Bonus points, so we have lost 7 games by 7 points or less with inexperienced refs in charge so in theory the refs inexperience could(in theory) and possibly did cost us wins or even draws. And the same could be said of the teams below us in the refs stats league.

Maybe, but if a ref is likely to have made a mistake that caused us to lose points, they're just as likely to make a mistake that got us within 7 points in the first place.

But you're right about how often we get the green refs, and as has been pointed out earlier, the problem isn't that refs make mistakes, it's that it doesn't balance out for each team over the course of the season.

clan clover wrote: We all know the bad refs, we cringe when we see their names down on the match previews. So if we know them,then the Celtic league know them too so why introduce or blood new refs into a league which already suffers from possibly having the worst officials for any professional rugby competition. There should be a promotion/demotion scheme for refs this in my opinion should make them think more clearly and sharpen the few brain cells that they do have,demotion means no Rabo and no ERC matches and therefore no internationals.

Not being cheeky, but if we know there are bad refs then that's precisely why we need to blood new refs.

Also, there already is a demotion/promotion scheme. All refs provided by a refs association, be it at club, provincial or international level are assessed post match. If they get enough bad marks they get demoted. But in order to get demoted there must be someone below who deserves to come up. If there isn't then there's not much that can be done.

Great Work ummmm.

After reading this i checked out the Rabo website and looked at the refs. Of the 27 refs on the panel 7 have made their debuts at a Connacht Game another 10 do not give their Debut match but you can safely say a lot of those guys also made their debut at a Connacht match. That is a seriously high proportion to put on one club.

Taking that into account, look at Connachts stats on losing Bonus points, so we have lost 7 games by 7 points or less with inexperienced refs in charge so in theory the refs inexperience could(in theory) and possibly did cost us wins or even draws. And the same could be said of the teams below us in the refs stats league.

We all know the bad refs, we cringe when we see their names down on the match previews. So if we know them,then the Celtic league know them too so why introduce or blood new refs into a league which already suffers from possibly having the worst officials for any professional rugby competition. There should be a promotion/demotion scheme for refs this in my opinion should make them think more clearly and sharpen the few brain cells that they do have,demotion means no Rabo and no ERC matches and therefore no internationals.

Lord no. I bow to the master

I've been doing this for a whole season, you volunteering for next year?

Ummm wrote

They did point out that the Referees Managers, towards the end of the season, divide matches into 'critical' and 'non-critical', based on the potential to influence play offs, and non critical matches are used to blood new refs.

Firstly great work Ummm thanks to you a actual practical change might take place next year.

As for having the more experienced refs manage games near the top for teams vying for the play-offs I don't think any of us would have a problem with that. As long as we get a fair shake of the stick next year I'm well happy with the result. I hope you told them though that there gonna be monitored next year :evil:

I got a reply!

Fair play to the league, the didn't fob me off and sent a proper detailed reply.

We haven't been the only ones keeping track and it has been officially noted that there is a disparity.

This will be brought up for discussion at the next meeting between the Pro12 and the Referees Managers, a group I assume is in charge of administering refs throughout the league.

They did point out that the Referees Managers, towards the end of the season, divide matches into 'critical' and 'non-critical', based on the potential to influence play offs, and non critical matches are used to blood new refs.

I replied thanking them and asking they make the results of the meeting public and also pointing out that the bottom four in the table have been at the bottom since the beginning of the season, not since the latter stages.

Will see what happens from here on in.

So here we go with the final round of Pro12 games. As the season progressed I'm sure we were all hoping to see this table even out, but it's quite obvious at this stage that the league is just as complicit as the unions in favouring certain sides over others.


Glasgow v Connacht: Peter Fitzgibbon (IRFU, 39th competition game)
Munster v Ulster: Alain Rolland (IRFU, 51st competition game)
Dragons v Leinster: Marius Mitrea (FIR, 7th competition game)
Scarlets v Blues: Nigel Owens )WRU, 86th competition game)
Edinburgh v Treviso: Mark Patton (IRFU, 1st competition game)
Aironi v Ospreys: Neil Paterson (SRU, 40th competition game)


For the fourth successive week Munster get an elite international referee. We and the Dragons are spared a rookie ref, but that means the other bottom dwellers Treviso get one this week.


Week 22

	Team	Average ref experience (in games)
1.	Munster	35
2.	Ospreys	32
3.	Blues	31
	Scarlets	31
5.	Ulster	28
6.	Leinster	27
	Glasgow	27
8.	Edinburgh	25
9.	Dragons	19
10.	Treviso	16
	Aironi	16
	Connacht	16

How would people feel about setting up an online petition if they don't answer?

I know its a way off but if ourselves, Treviso and the Dragons got their fans to sign it we could embarrass the hell out of them cause it's pretty hard to argue with facts. Just a contingency if they don't answer.

No reply yet.

I'm prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt while the league is gearing up for the knock out stages, but I won't be dropping this. Might send them a polite reminder later.

No updates today, I'm not near my spreadsheets, will post tomorrow

Hey Umm, did they listen to you?

The ref for the Glasgow game is on his 39th league game. On the downside, it's Fitzgibber - ca case of be care ful what you wish for

Cheers guys. Will let you know what happens next.

Your a class act ummm.
Cant wait for the reply.
Good idea about CC ing the Journos if the reply is unfavourable.

fair play ummm