The rugby community is reeling after Scotland’s Lisa Thomson appeared to hurdle a tackle from Wales’ Kiera Bevan in their Six Nations opener, only for the incident to go unpunished. The contentious moment occurred with the score at 7-3 in favor of Wales, as Thomson broke through the Welsh defensive line, seemingly jumping over Bevan’s tackle.
Despite the protests from Bevan and her teammates, referee Kat Roche consulted with TMO Oli Kellett, who deemed that there was no clear jump. However, former Wales captain Siwan Lillicrap disagreed, stating, “That’s a clear jump for me, sorry TMO.”
The incident has sparked widespread outrage among rugby fans, who are drawing comparisons to a similar incident in the men’s Six Nations match, where Scotland’s Blair Murray was penalized for hurdling a tackle. Many are questioning the consistency of refereeing decisions, with some suggesting that there is a bias against Welsh teams.
Rugby fans took to social media to express their frustration, with one fan stating, “Haven’t we seen this somewhere before involving Scotland and Wales? Oh yes, one week it’s an offence, the next, it’s perfectly acceptable. Apparently rugby needs to sort itself out.” Another fan added, “How is this different to Blair Murray’s jump?! Consistency is desperately needed in rugby union…”.
The controversy has overshadowed Wales’ spirited performance in their first match under new coach Sean Lynn. Despite ultimately losing 24-21, Wales showed promise, with both teams receiving red cards for Georgia Evans and Evie Gallagher.
As the Six Nations tournament continues, the rugby community will be keeping a close eye on refereeing decisions, hoping for consistency and fairness. The incident has sparked a wider debate about the need for clearer guidelines and more consistent enforcement of the rules in rugby union.