Argentina fly-half Tomás Albornoz has become the first player charged under World Rugby's new Match Official Abuse Sanction Process, a landmark test of the framework the sport introduced to protect referees.
The 27-year-old was cited after remonstrating with Australian referee Angus Gardner in the moments after Argentina's 31-24 Nations Championship defeat by England in Santiago del Estero on 18 July. The flashpoint came after a late Argentina try in overtime was overturned on the TMO's advice, denying the Pumas a chance to snatch a draw.
"Tomás Albornoz has been issued with misconduct charges following Argentina's Nations Championship match against England," World Rugby said in a statement. "In line with the remit of the Match Official Abuse Sanction Process, the charges relate to events following the final whistle. Albornoz was seen remonstrating with the match officials following the final whistle. The hearing details will be confirmed shortly."
The case carries added weight because Albornoz is the first player to be adjudicated under the process, which was agreed at World Rugby's recent Shape of the Game forum to complement the existing Regulation 18 and provide what the governing body calls a clearer and more consistent framework for dealing with abuse of officials.
Former international referee Nigel Owens, speaking on World Rugby's Whistle Watch, said the scenes could not be tolerated even when a big call goes against a side. "What you don't want is it to spill over into disagreement and players running up to referees and then all the sort of abuse on social media that comes from it, which is totally, totally unacceptable," Owens said. He was equally critical of the crowd: "Walking off the pitch and then abuse from the crowd, something being chucked, not a part of the game and should never be part of the game."
Argentina's frustration had been building before the final whistle. Head coach Felipe Contepomi accused England of a "lack of respect," taking exception to music and celebrations audible from the visitors' changing room, and walked out of his post-match press conference.
Former England hooker Brian Moore warned the governing body against leniency, saying World Rugby would be "abrogating its responsibilities" if it were to "make light" of the accusations.
Under the new sanction process, penalties can range from an automatic two-match suspension to as long as 18 weeks for the most serious cases of physical misconduct against an official, meaning Albornoz could miss a significant chunk of Argentina's season depending on the hearing's findings.
The outcome will be watched closely as the first precedent under a system its architects, competition owners, match officials and union chief executives, designed to draw a firm line around the treatment of referees. World Rugby said the hearing date would be confirmed shortly.
