Legendary rugby ref has career tribute scrapped at half-time with his family present at stadium

Legendary rugby ref has career tribute scrapped at half-time with his family present at stadium,Record-breaking referee Wayne Barnes was due to be the subject of a half-time tribute at Twickenham on Saturday, but the gesture was scrapped after fears of a backlash with his family present

Legendary rugby ref has career tribute scrapped at half-time with his family present at stadium

A half-time tribute commemorating the legendary career of rugby referee Wayne Barnes was cancelled at the 11th hour on Saturday.

English referee Barnes, 43, was due to be honoured at the interval during England's 27-13 defeat at home to South Africa. That was after the Premiership veteran became the first official to oversee 101 Test matches earlier in November, breaking the record previously held by Nigel Owens.

“We will be marking at half-time the wonderful achievement of Wayne Barnes, who on November 5 refereed his 100th Test international when he officiated at the Wales vs New Zealand Test, only the second referee to reach this remarkable milestone,” said RFU president Nigel Gillingham in the matchday programme.

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But the honour was cancelled at the request of Barnes' family due to concerns regarding the reaction it would create among some supporters. Barnes officiated South Africa's 30-26 defeat to France earlier in the autumn, after which it was reported the referee and his family were subject to a 'torrent of abuse', including death threats.

Springboks director of rugby Rassie Erasmus was suspended for his team's two final autumn fixtures after posting game footage online critiquing referee decisions made during the loss to France. Although Erasmus said it was "totally unfounded" that his tweets had any links to fans abusing Barnes, it's natural to assume his example may well have galvanised others to follow up with criticism.

A Twickenham tribute to rugby referee Wayne Barnes was cancelled over fears of a backlash with his family present (Image: Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)

"Plans to mark Wayne Barnes’ record-breaking career as a referee at half-time have been shelved," broadcaster Nick Mullins tweeted from Headquarters on Saturday. "With his family & children here, there are worries about how some in the crowd might react. This is why and where it must end."

Barnes—who is a barrister—has a young son and daughter with wife Polly, who co-founded the Women's Rugby Association. He has long been recognised as one of the world's top referees, regularly overseeing matches in the World Cup, Six Nations and multiple Premiership finals.

There is a fear the growing trend of online abuse directed against officials will discourage younger candidates from pursuing careers as referees. As a result, the talent pool among referees would dwindle and only harm the overall standard of officiating in rugby.

Barnes is expected to retire following what will be his fifth Rugby World Cup in France next year. Fans will have opportunity to pay tribute to the departing decision-maker before then, at which point he'll likely boast a significant cushion as the all-time record-holder at Test level.