Whistle While You Work -- Referee Barnes Faces Final Test

Paris, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Oct, 2023) Wayne Barnes, the referee for the Rugby World Cup final, thought about retiring last year due to social media abuse which threatened his family sparked by tweets made by South Africa's director of rugby Rassie Erasmus.

The 44-year-old Englishman decided not to hang up his whistle and focus on his successful legal career, and on Saturday he will take charge of what is likely to be his record-extending 111th and final Test.

It will see Barnes run the rule over Erasmus's defending champions Springboks and New Zealand with the winners lifting the Webb Ellis trophy for a record fourth time.

Erasmus's sarcastic tweets taking Barnes to task over his refereeing of France's 30-26 victory over South Africa in November last year earned him a two-match ban -- weeks after he had returned from a year-long suspension for other provocative tweets.

"I sacrifice, but it's a family sacrifice and you do think, 'I've got this other decent job to go to,'" Barnes told the podcast "The Good, The Bad and The Rugby" in December last year.

"I'm a partner at a law firm and they're keen for me to come back full-time.

"Of course you question it, and that's a constant conversation you have with your family."

His wife Polly had been threatened with "sexual violence" and she and their children also received death threats.

"I've seen some things in the last few years, but receiving direct messages from rugby 'fans' threatening to kill your kids & burn your house down with your family in it over a few on-field decisions is a new low for me, my family & a plague for our entire game," tweeted Polly.

Even the cool-headed lawyer in Barnes was shocked by the level and violence of the abuse.

"When you've done 100 games, you think you can prepare for most things," he said.

"You can't prepare for that.

"I don't mind people criticising my performance and, if they want to abuse me directly, that's their choice.

"But that wasn't just a line that was crossed. You couldn't even see the line, it had gone that far."