Springboks are unhappy that New Zealander Ben O’Keeffe will ref their semi-final showdown against England.
Images via Twitter:
@rugbyworldcup/ @allblacks
‘A Kiwi determining who will play the Kiwis’: Springboks fans react to semi-final ref
The SA vs England Rugby World Cup semi-final referee – Ben O’Keeffe – has been announced, and Springboks fans are not happy. Here’s why…
Springboks are unhappy that New Zealander Ben O’Keeffe will ref their semi-final showdown against England.
Images via Twitter:
@rugbyworldcup/ @allblacks
Like the England rugby team, Ben O’Keeffe will be another familiar face when the Springboks play their Rugby World Cup semi-final game on Saturday, 21 October.
The New Zealand referee will oversee the titanic clash between the countries who last faced off in the RWC finale.
ALSO READ: ‘Monster performance’: Piers Morgan praises Eben Etzebeth
BEN O’KEEFFE TO REF SOUTH AFRICA’S SEMI-FINAL AGAINST FRANCE
On Tuesday, 17 October, World Rugby revealed that Ben O’Keeffe would be back to referee another Springboks game, this time against England.
This will be O’Keeffe’s first semi-final game as an official. However, it is not his first time overseeing a test match between South Africa and England. In June 2018, O’Keeffe was in the middle of a test match between the countries, which SA won 42-39.
ALSO READ: No chill? ‘Nkalakatha’ blasts at stadium after Springboks win, France weeps
According to World Rugby, Ben was selected for the semi-final game “based on merit.”
SPRINGBOKS FANS CONCERNED
On X.com – formerly Twitter, many Springboks fans were upset at the referee announcement. According to them, Ben O’Keeffe could possibly be biased in wanting to see his home country in a final against England.
Here’s what they had to say:
@Sisa_Ndoni: “Yooh this guy doesn’t wanna see us win. We are in trouble”
@UKahts: “He’s going to nail us, because he would love his team (NZ) to play England rather than SA in the final!! How did they get to this decision? Is it perhaps rigged?”
@chivertos: “A Kiwi determining who will be playing the Kiwis? Hmmmm…”
@vonlebo: “Was there no other option?
FRANCE CAPTAIN ALSO NOT HAPPY
Springboks fans are not the only ones unhappy with Ben O’Keeffe. France’s rugby team captain Antoine DuPont expressed his frustration with the ref following his country’s Rugby World Cup exit.
He said in a post-match briefing: “There’s a lot of disappointment and frustration,” said the France captain. “When we watch the match again, there are probably things that will make us even more frustrated.”
He continued: “I don’t want to be a bad loser and moan about the refereeing. But I am not sure the level of refereeing was up to what was at stake today … [But] that doesn’t take anything away from the South Africans. They played a great game.”
