Statement regarding abuse of match officials

31 May Statement regarding abuse of match officials

29^th May 2026

Update for all Navan RFC members and supporters

Dear members and supporters,

Navan RFC is committed to upholding the highest standards of behaviour, as outlined in our Spirit of Rugby Charter. We have recently received a sanction from the Leinster Branch for verbal abuse directed towards match officials, resulting in three punitive elements: a monetary fine, a reduction in our international ticket allocation, and (for the relevant team) a set number of matches due to be played at home which will be played away instead.

Unfortunately, this is not the first incident in Navan RFC in recent years, and so we – as a club – need to examine our culture and values, and realign them without delay to the traditional values of this sport and the published codes of conduct from the Club and the Leinster Branch. Central to these values is the respect afforded to match officials.

We take this incident very seriously in order to reflect the gravity with which we view any breach of our values and policies. Such incidents are unacceptable and undermine the values of respect, integrity and sportsmanship that our Club stands for.

We operate a strict zero-tolerance policy towards all forms of abuse towards match officials, players and supporters, and we must do better to protect our Club’s reputation and to set a positive example for younger players.

Any future breaches will be dealt with swiftly and severely, to safeguard the Club’s interests and the values of our sport. We will not tolerate behaviour that compromises the respect and dignity of match officials.

We urge all members to uphold our Code of Conduct and Spirit of Rugby Charter at all times. Let’s work together to maintain a respectful environment for everyone involved in the game.

Yours in rugby,