Jaco Peyper trying to build respect for referees in South African rugby

Recently retired top South African referee Jaco Peyper is aiming to build a culture of respect towards referees in the Springboks and South African rugby as a whole going forward.

Peyper, who retired earlier this year, was appointed by the Boks in a new position this year, as the Laws and Discipline advisor, was speaking to the media in Pretoria on Monday, where he explained what his main job was.

“For me it is still a developing science (his position). The first brief is something we started last year during the World Cup campaign when I spent a bit of time with the team,” explained Peyper.

“The coaching staff asked me what they can fix and I said we have to build respect around refereeing in this country, and not just in the team.

“We need more referees and we need people to serve the game. So we have to create a different environment. So that’s the first part of the brief, to create that environment within the team.”

Peyper continued: The second part is that the coaches have to coach within the key areas accurately. So my job is not to judge a referees performance. My job is to make sure that they coach in the key focus areas and that the players play and execute in those areas.

“After games there will then be alignment. Whether we should adjust after a game or whether the referees will adjust. So that is the main day to day (work).”

More prevalent

Peyper admitted that referees linking up with teams wasn’t something new and that it would become more and more prevalent as the game evolves and becomes quicker and more dynamic.

“It isn’t something new. Andy Brace and Frank Murphy go to Ireland training in camp. Wayne Barnes and Luke Pearce will have gone to England training. Ben O’Keefe is at the moment in the New Zealand camp,” said Peyper.

“The teams are finding it more and more necessary as the game becomes faster and more dynamic to make sure that the players and coaches are spot on when they train because you can’t fix everything on Saturday.”

A big focus point for Peyper as well is on reducing preventable penalties, with the players being shown where they need to improve and what they need to evade in certain situations.

“It is pretty clear what World Rugby wants, they put out a guideline. Then we have to measure players. We never plan to not concede penalties, we plan to avoid avoidable penalties. If you take part in a game you are going to concede penalties somewhere,” said Peyper.

“So we class them in two or three categories. But like I say it is a developing job that is going to get more detailed as we go because it is sort of the first of its kind.”