Africa-Press – Namibia. NATIONAL under-20 head Jood Opperman’s verbal abuse of a female referee has earned him a 12-month suspension from involvement in all forms of rugby from the Namibia Rugby Union.
Six months are suspended for a period of two years, the union said.
Opperman was found guilty of misconduct against Senegalese official Bineta Sène, who took charge of Namibia’s international women’s rugby debut that ended in a 75-5 loss to Zambia at the Hage Geingob Stadium.
Sène (21) is the youngest international rugby referee in Africa, and despite her youth is highly regarded by Rugby Africa.
“The charge that was brought was that while acting as assistant coach of the Namibia national [senior] women’s team, during half-time of that match, [Opperman] approached the match referee Ms B Sene from Senegal to express his dissatisfaction with her interpretation of certain line-out calls while she was still on the playing field,” the NRU said in a statement.
His was one of four major disciplinary incidences, which the NRU dealt with since mid-October.
“One of the assistant referees, who is a Namibian national, explained to him [Opperman] the possible reason why the referee made those mentioned calls.
“Apparently, still dissatisfied, he followed the match officials into their dressing room and verbally abused them by uttering the words that they ‘are crap and shit’.
“And even afterwards in his written reply to the allegations, he admitted that he also used the words that ‘Rugby Africa cannot appoint sub-standard referees to platforms like this and they cannot make their own fucking rules’,” the NRU said.
Opperman waived his right to appeal.
NRU is also taking disciplinary action for a rules and regulations breach, which threatens “its integrity and that of World Rugby and Rugby in general”.
Interim NRU chief executive officer of NRU Theo Grunewald reported Unam Rugby Club chairperson Christian Windvogel to the disciplinary committee “for bringing the [Namibia Rugby] Union, World Rugby and the game of rugby in disrepute by circulating an email to NRU Council, which was false and misleading as well as attempting to have the final, which was supposed to be on the weekend of 30 October 2021, disrupted by his actions”.
“This matter has started but has not yet been finalised and postponed to next year on a date to be confirmed.”
The now infamous 2021 club rugby finals spawned two disciplinary committee cases.
“The first complaint involved charges laid by FNB Western Suburbs RC against FNB Wanderers RC for using ineligible players in the premier and reserve league semi-finals against FNB Wanderers,” NRU said.
“Wanderers were found guilty and accordingly forfeited the win result, which resulted in Western Suburbs playing in both finals against FNB Unam, which the latter won.
“Subsequent to this, FNB Wanderers RC filed a similar complaint against FNB Unam and FNB Western Suburbs, which resulted in the setting up of a second disciplinary committee by the NRU. After hearing oral evidence from all parties involved, both these clubs were also found guilty by the disciplinary committee, the sanctions of which have not been delivered yet.”
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