Chris Busby, the referee at the centre of the controversy generated by Connacht wing Mack Hansen, will step away from officiating before the forthcoming Six Nations.
The shock development, first reported by the 42.ie, sees Busby become the latest high-profile official to step away from the sport.
World Cup final TMO Tom Foley stepped away for a career break in 2023 following what he termed “a torrent of criticism and abuse” on social media.
Although there are believed to be other factors behind the Belfast man’s decision, the criticism he and his match officials shipped from Hansen following the Leinster v Connacht clash last month has proved to be the last straw.
After Hansen alluded to, amongst other things, being “pressured by 16 men instead of 15” in the Aviva and complaints they had been “reffed out of the game for the first 40 minutes”, a vitriolic social media campaign compounded the controversy.
A lengthy delay in initially disciplining, and then punishing Hansen, was noted amongst the refereeing fraternity, here and in other jurisdictions, and this would also have prompted Busby’s reluctance to continue a decade-long career which was on an upward curve.
Many referees throughout the sport continue to be dismayed at the ongoing pressure, and abuse they receive; Wayne Barnes revealed upon retirement that he received death threats during his career.
In Ireland, the IRFU consulted the provinces in September and all four reported an increase in incidents of abuse.
“It was clear following discussions that this remains a blight on the game itself, and impacts on the ability for match officials to be recruited and retained,” they said in a subsequent statement.
Busby’s decision is a reflection of that depressing diagnosis.
He joined the IRFU’s high performance refereeing panel in 2021, became an assistant referee at the 2023 Rugby World Cup and last year took charge of his biggest game yet, South Africa versus Wales.
He is slated to officiate in the 2025 Six Nations but this weekend’s Champions Cup clash between Bath and Clermont is likely to be his last.