By Christina Courquin, Barrister, Mountford Chambers
Abuse of Match Officials has been a rising problem for a number of years. Two high-profile rugby officials, Wayne Barnes and Tom Foley, stepped away from the sport following abuse on social media. Mr Barnes announced his retirement following his appearance at the World Cup final last year. He received numerous death threats and warnings, including threats to burn down his house and threats that his wife and children would be killed. Mr Foley announced his retirement one month after Mr Barnes, following what he described to be a ‘torrent of criticism and abuse online’. Football referee Anthony Taylor and his family were subjected to abuse as he boarded a flight home from the Europa League Final in Budapest in May 2023, with Roma fans bein...
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