A powerful figure in French rugby emerges from his silence

Since the match he officiated between France and South Africa, Ben O’Keefe has been going through tough times. After two weeks of silence, one of the most important figures in French rugby has just spoken out about New Zealand refereeing.

This match generated a lot of interest and continues to excite fans. On 15 October, the French XV faced South Africa in the quarter-finals of the Rugby World Cup. A rare intense match between two of the best teams on the face of the earth, and the result was not in favor of the Blues, with a defeat by only one point. A huge disappointment for Antoine Dupont and his partners, who were hoping more than anything else to bring back this trophy that French rugby is missing.

The match was decided in small details, and for some, referee Ben O’Keefe, after the whistle that evening, tipped the decision in South Africa’s favour. The refereeing unleashed fans’ anger on social media as many players expressed doubts about his skills. After more than 10 days of massive disappointment, Florian Grill, president of the French Rugby Federation (FFR), has decided to break the silence to discuss the issue of the 34-year-old New Zealand referee. “Defending referees and respect is like defending rugby (…) If we have to fight for France to have an influence in the world of rugby, we must put an end to negative comments about referees.”says on Facebook, in the comments reported by Sports.fr.

Defending and respecting referees, even in our disappointment, is defending rugby

So Florian Grill decided to speak out to come…

read more

Read also

“Ben O’Keefe won the match…”: The French-South African referee once again shines the spotlight on the rugby star
Maxime Marmoz: The 15th former French rugby player accused of stealing tickets to a Blues match! He comes out of silence
Alain Delon: His “partner,” Hiromi Rollin, breaks her silence after his children complained of a strong counterattack