Jutge hangs up his whistle

France's top referee Joël Jutge has given up the battle against injury and has decided to quit active refereeing and go into administration.

Jutge has been unable to referee since November 2007 when he was having cartilage trouble and underwent a knee operation. After the operation he spent eight months recovering but all was s till not right and he underwent another operation on the same knee. This meant 10 months of recuperation.

He had hoped to be ready but was forced to withdraw from a club match in France and then from, European Challenge match and then from two Six Nations appointments. He was a strong candidate to referee on the Lions' tour to South Africa.

Jutge was honoured by the French government. Roselyne Bachelot, the Minister of Health, Youth Affairs, Sport and Associations, presented him with the medal of a Chevalier of the Order of Merit (Médaille de Chevalier de l'Ordre du Mérite).

Jutge was born in Lavaur on 5 April 1966. He took up refereeing after a top career as a scrumhalf for Colomiers and then Cahors.

He is not lost to rugby as he will join Joël Dumé and will look after the professional sector of French refereeing.

Brian Moore

Love him, or hate him?

Some days it's the former, some the latter, but while I can't bare listening to him as a commentator during the BBC's rugby coverage, there's no questioning his ability as a writer.

On the present turmoil at Bath Rugby, his article (see link below) is worth a look.

I have the dubious pleasure of working in the sporting media in Bath, so have watched this whole sorry story unfold for a long time.

And I have to admit I am not surprised. A well-respected source informed me last year (well before the Matt Stevens saga) that drugs were involved at Bath.

Like many, though, I am deeply saddened at the current situation that envelopes the club I have supported for many years.

Quite how head coach Steve Meehan is supposed to rebuild his squad when he returns from Australia's east coast is beyond me - good luck to him. The Australians are facing a coaching crisis as it is withing their club structure - would anyone blame him for returning back Down Under?

I for one hope he doesn't. There is plenty enough talent at Bath and one hopes the actions of a few bad apples doesn't spoil the efforts of the majority at the club.

Kick the offenders out and rebuild, quickly. Easier said than done I know, but here's hoping the Bath management pull it off.

www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/club/5438561/Bath-in-turmoil-as-peer-pressure-is-floored-by-player-power.html