Referee embroiled in heated twitter debates
Welsh whistler Nigel Owens embroiled himself in some heated twitter debates following Saturday’s Test match in Christchurch between Ireland and New Zealand. Owens made a controversial call against a dominant Ireland scrum with three minutes left which cost the visitors the chance to turn a game they were drawing into one they might have won, thus creating history in the 107 years, and 26 games, of competition between the countries. But afterwards, Owens defended his call saying; “i aint right all the time. am only human and make mistakes. but i will own up when i do them.”
That was followed by a volley of abuse along the lines of “thank f*** your not refereeing next weekend absolutely appalling and disgraceful today” to “just annoying that 1 of the best refs in the world crumbled #Bottler”. Owens, bizarrely, came out fighting following one exchange, replying to his aggressor “never said anyone was s***. and there are a few on here who are being knobs. or is it ok to call the ref names but not him u” and “why dont u give refin a go, then ill listen to ur opinion, I hear ur pretty shit playing is that true?”
© This appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Monday, June 18, 2012
