There have been plenty of things happen on a rugby pitch that have surprised me, incidents where I've been forced into a double take.
Usually it involves foul play; a punch for example, or dangerous tackle, while sometimes a serious injury has unfortunately stopped me in my tracks.
However, something that happened the other weekend resulted in me awarding a penalty for an act "contrary to good sportsmanship" - my get out of jail free card if you like, as - in 9 years - I'd never come across it before, thankfully.
In the second half of the match, during a stoppage in play at a scrum, while the hosts were making a substitution, my glance in the direction of the touchline was averted to a visiting player who, quite brazenly, was answering the call of the nature on the pitch.
Not to the side of the pitch, not discreetly, or even obscured - in full view of everyone and with pretty much everything on display, if you catch my drift.
Being made of thick skin and having fairly broad shoulders, it wasn't with a deal of offence that I awarded a penalty against him (his captain dished out what I couldn't - a smack around the side of his head), but with utter astonishment that he would have so little disregard for his team-mates or even opposition who had to play on said pitch.
And that's not taking into account the fact that children could have been in the near vicinity - they weren't and it was only by chance I'm sure that his bladder cried out on the one area of the pitch where there were few spectators.
On reflection, I should have made the pi**-taker, or giver given what he was doing, a yellow card (an unfortunate colour I know) and made the idiot wash down the area in which he saw fit to relieve himself.
But not that taking a leak on a rugby pitch is anything new. Not a weekend goes by without someone somewhere getting caught short I know, but most of the time the effected party runs to the sideline and does the deed discreetly.
Even All Black Jerry Collins was once caught short before a Bledisoe Cup match, and was forced to pee in a bucket at Jade Stadium.
And of course there was Paula Radcliffe, who famously stopped during the 2005 London Marathon to relieve her bladder at the side of the road.
So, the incident goes down as a first in my book and, hopefully, the last.
Please, let's keep pinky where he belongs and if you really need to take a pee, go find a large bush and feel free not to shake my hand after the match thanks!
Usually it involves foul play; a punch for example, or dangerous tackle, while sometimes a serious injury has unfortunately stopped me in my tracks.
However, something that happened the other weekend resulted in me awarding a penalty for an act "contrary to good sportsmanship" - my get out of jail free card if you like, as - in 9 years - I'd never come across it before, thankfully.
In the second half of the match, during a stoppage in play at a scrum, while the hosts were making a substitution, my glance in the direction of the touchline was averted to a visiting player who, quite brazenly, was answering the call of the nature on the pitch.
Not to the side of the pitch, not discreetly, or even obscured - in full view of everyone and with pretty much everything on display, if you catch my drift.
Being made of thick skin and having fairly broad shoulders, it wasn't with a deal of offence that I awarded a penalty against him (his captain dished out what I couldn't - a smack around the side of his head), but with utter astonishment that he would have so little disregard for his team-mates or even opposition who had to play on said pitch.
And that's not taking into account the fact that children could have been in the near vicinity - they weren't and it was only by chance I'm sure that his bladder cried out on the one area of the pitch where there were few spectators.
On reflection, I should have made the pi**-taker, or giver given what he was doing, a yellow card (an unfortunate colour I know) and made the idiot wash down the area in which he saw fit to relieve himself.
But not that taking a leak on a rugby pitch is anything new. Not a weekend goes by without someone somewhere getting caught short I know, but most of the time the effected party runs to the sideline and does the deed discreetly.
Even All Black Jerry Collins was once caught short before a Bledisoe Cup match, and was forced to pee in a bucket at Jade Stadium.
And of course there was Paula Radcliffe, who famously stopped during the 2005 London Marathon to relieve her bladder at the side of the road.
So, the incident goes down as a first in my book and, hopefully, the last.
Please, let's keep pinky where he belongs and if you really need to take a pee, go find a large bush and feel free not to shake my hand after the match thanks!
