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TMOs given more power in Currie Cup

Thursday 12th June 2008

More power: The man upstairs' scope has been expanded

Television Match Officials (TMOs) have been given experimental new powers in the Currie Cup as part of a South African Rugby Union-inspired plan to exploit available technology.

The experiment has been sanctioned by the IRB and will mean the TMO is no longer restricted to ruling only on "in the act of scoring a try" incidents.

André Watson, SARU's manager of referees, announced the decision after he motivated the experiment to the IRB.

"No longer will the TMO have to confine himself to the actual scoring of a try," said Watson.

"Now he will be allowed to go back to the previous phase of play and take it from there, whether that be a tackle, a ruck, a maul, a scrum, a penalty kick, a free kick, a line-out or a kick-off."

Referees will also have the power to refer suspected incidences of foul play to the TMO for adjudication. TMOs will be able to rule on any transgression - such as a forward pass, a knock-on, obstruction or any other illegality during that phase - and advise the referee on how he should proceed.

The TMO's power over foul play will apply from stoppage to stoppage and only be activated on a request from the referee who may apply sanctions on the recommendation of the TMO.

The experiment kicks off in the opening Currie Cup match between the Sharks and Western Province in Durban on June 20.