h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

No matter what your opinion of the referee, his word is Law. He is known in Rugby as "Sir" and not "Ref", "oi, you", "you four-eyed old git" or any other opprobrious epithets.

His decisions are not to be questioned and if asked with suitable poiliteness by your captain or pack leader (other mortals may not address him), he may consent to explain his reasoning, or if you're unlucky, just give the other side another 10 metres.

I heartily agree. Having just taken my ref's exam, I won't take any crap! How would Wayne Rooney cope on a rugby field? I bet he'd be off before the first scrum. I wonder if a referee has ever thumped a player for being lippy? Would they have to send themselves off?

I don't no about refs punching players but I know my clubs third team managed to knock out there ref last weekend!

The ref ran up to one of our players who had the ball and was charging towards the try line. Our player just saw this movement out of the corner of his eye and handed off him off to prevent the tackle he thought was coming. Unforetunately it was the ref and the hand off managed to knock him out cold for a couple of seconds! Of course the play stopped and once the ref was fine he just laughed at it. He got bought a fair few pints by our thirds that day!

Actually my club is dangerous to refs...the guy reffing my game on saturday got too close to a 'vigorous' ruck and managed to catch a shoe into the back of the leg. He just laughed and said it was the first time he'd been raked whilst reffing!