‘Stoppages, TMOs, referees’ hurting rugby ‘badly’

Former Ireland full-back Rob Kearney has told the BBC’s Ireland Rugby Social podcast that he expects “big changes” in rugby union guidelines over the “next three to six months” to improve the game as a spectacle.

Talking to BBC Sport NI’s Gavin Andrews and former Ireland team-mate Conor Murray, Kearney said he believes too many stoppages in the game, caused primarily by television match official (TMO) reviews designed to aid refereeing decisions, are having an adverse effect.

The former Leinster back, now 39, was appointed to the executive board of World Rugby in 2024.

“Stoppages, TMOs, referees, it’s hurting the game badly,” said Kearney of the biggest short-term challenge facing the game.

“Big changes I think will happen in the next three to six months – certainly remit number one from a World Rugby perspective is to improve and make changes because the product on the field at the moment is not good enough, it’s not what it needs to be,” said Kearney.

“With so many other sports you’re under pressure to win fans and eyeballs.”

Kearney, who won 95 caps before being left out of the Ireland squad after the 2019 World Cup quarter-final defeat by New Zealand in Japan, added that, on the physical side of the game, the safety element around concussion is also “a big threat”.

“A lot of work has been done, not to eradicate it because it has always been there, rugby is a physical sport and there are always going to be head knocks.

“We have to appreciate that it’s part and parcel of the game and just get on with it, and hope the authorities are doing the best that they can to stay up with science and medicine and return-to-play protocols.

“I think tackle height may change in time. That would be one side of it, while the financial costs of the game are not good.

Kearney expressed disappointment at the manner of his exclusion from Andy Farrell’s squad for the 2020 Six Nations after being an integral part of the Ireland group under previous coach Joe Schmidt.

The ex-Ireland number 15 revealed that he learned of his omission from the squad in “a very, very quick phone call”.

“My international career didn’t get cut short but it ended rapidly. I played the World Cup matches and then Andy Farrell came in and picked his new squad.

“The Six Nations was only three months away so in my head I was thinking that if I was good enough to start at the World Cup…”.

Kearney also talks about playing the final game of his 16-year spell with Leinster in an empty stadium because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

He finished his career with a season playing for Western Force in Australia before a stint playing club gaelic football in Louth. In the podcast, he also chooses the best players he played with and against – two Ireland legends contesting the former accolade and two celebrated All Blacks in the running in the latter category.

Kearney selects Ireland’s 2009 and 2018 Grand Slams as two of his most memorable moments, with the ground-breaking victory over the All Blacks in 2016 the third highlight.

“Selfishly the ’18 Grand Slam almost means the most to me because in 2009 I was young, everything was great, I was fresh off the rank, body was good, everything was just perfect and falls into place.

“Nine years on your form goes really bad and you pick up loads of injuries, you’re in and you’re out, the inevitable ups and downs that come with professional rugby.