Rugby: Referees to front up to media

Super 14 referees will be made available for media questioning following matches this season. Photo / Getty Images

Rugby referees will be made publicly accountable for their decisions in the immediate wake of Super 14 rugby matches this season.

For the first time, referees will be available for media questioning of their performance, a move designed to make the game's whistlers and their decisions more transparent.

New Zealand Rugby Union high performance referee manager Lyndon Bray said there was a desire to take some of the mystery out of rugby's laws, while the referees themselves have agreed they would like to be publicly measured.

"They (referees) have probably always been slightly threatened in the past by the concept of facing up on TV after games," Bray told Radio Sport.

"We've all acknowledged this is probably an important step. It brings us into line with the coaches and the players, who also have to do this."

Referees have been in the spotlight in the leadup to this year's Super 14, announcing there will be an emphasis on enforcing breakdown interpretations more literally from the law book.

This, Bray said, should create a more flowing spectacle than the kick-dominated play of 2009.

He said yellow cards could be produced earlier in games this year to deal with players unwilling to adjust their attitude.

- NZPA