Im off, says Goff

A senior Masterton rugby ref is boycotting the game to protest incidents of referee abuse that have left one Wairarapa player banned for the rest of the season and another on the sidelines for several weeks.
The protest comes over a weekend when several other Wairarapa referees are unavailable through injury and travel and some remaining referees are overseeing two games today along with 'deputised' club members for other fixtures.
Goff Moorcock, who has been a Wairarapa match official for almost 24 years, said he stepped down from the regional roster this weekend as a "personal stand" against two incidents where officials were abused in home matches over the past fortnight.
Tim Nathan, Wairarapa Bush Rugby Football Union judiciary vice chairman, said he was involved with disciplining each player at the centre of the incidents including a Pioneer senior thirds player who refused to leave the field and repeatedly swore at a referee during a match in Masterton last weekend and a member of the Featherston senior thirds side who shouldered the referee and spat during a game in Featherston two weeks ago.
The Pioneer player was banned from playing for six weeks and the Featherston player is banned from playing for the remainder of the season, he said.
"I refuse to referee this weekend after what's happened over the past two Saturdays. This is a personal protest to stop referee abuse dead in its tracks before one of us gets knocked over," Mr Moorcock said.
"I'm wondering where it's going to stop and I believe that unless somebody says something now it'll just keep getting worse and worse," Mr Moorcock said.
"It has to be stamped out as soon as it starts so I'm leaving my whistle in my bag this weekend and depending on what happens, my boots might be hung up for good."
Mr Moorcock some years ago had refereed a Masterton match during which a player, who was also a notorious gang member at the time, refused to leave the field after being ordered off for foul play.
Fellow gang members were also present on the sideline and as the situation worsened, Mr Moorcock allowed the player to remain in the game "for the safety of us all".
He felt forced to later install security lighting at the home he shared with his wife and then young son, he said, and several times discussed with rugby union officials the possibility of reprisal attacks and ensuring he and his family remained safe.
"What's happened in the past two weeks is nothing like that situation but why risk endangering any referee who's there because he loves the game too abusing and threatening the ref is absolute bullshit and just isn't not good enough."
Peter Debney, Wairarapa Bush Rugby Referees Association secretary, said yesterday he is not surprised that a Wairarapa referee is "making an individual stand to say enough is enough" after the incidents of abuse over the past fortnight. He said there are nine Wairarapa referees available with another nine used when needed.
There are several referees unavailable this weekend, he said, although all fixtures will be covered with some refs overseeing two games apiece and club members also taking up the whistle.
He applauded the hard stance taken by the judiciary authority over the red card incidents this month and said the bans must be also parallel club and community commitment to be effective.
"Players get so wound up sometimes they get into a red mist. They lose touch and as ref you have to give them time to cool down.
"The clubs themselves and the community must address the wider issue of players and supporters abusing refs, who can't afford to be thin-skinned," he said.
"Or we'll just get to the situation where nobody wants to referee and that will be a very sad day for all of us," he said.
Kelvin Lochhead, the referee involved with the banned Featherston player, believes abuse of referees is universal across all codes and is worsening.
He said the incident escalated after he issued a yellow card to the player for high tackling minutes before the second half whistle sounded. Five minutes into the second half the player was given a red card for another offence and took exception to the ruling.
"He pushed me with his shoulder as he walked past with plenty off room to spare and spat. At the hearing we were told he would have been banned for life if he had dropped his shoulder but with the spitting as well."
Mr Lochhead, who supports the stand taken by Mr Moorcock, said he was today set to referee a match involving the same Featherston side though he was not expecting any incidents of abuse despite his belief that "anything can happen and probably will".
Wairarapa referee Dean Goodin said he prefers to settle raised tempers on the paddock with humour, which also makes for a free flowing and more easily managed game.
"I know what the game's about and all the players want to do is score tries. So I prefer to let it flow and a good rapport with the players means a better chance of the happening."