Barnes' wife speaks out over threats as journalist goes after Erasmus

The wife of referee Wayne Barnes has taken to Twitter to speak out over the abuse that has been directed at her by rugby fans in recent weeks, which she describes ‘a new low’.

Polly Barnes says that fans threatened to kill her children and burn down her house.

Although she doesn’t specify which set of fans are behind the hate campaign, the abuse which was directed at her husband in recent weeks has come following South Africa’s loss to France in the Autumn Nation Series, in which Springbok fans took issue with a number of his refereeing decisions.

Barnes has revealed on The Good, the Bad & the Rugby how the toll of online abuse led to discussions around giving up the whistle to continue as a lawyer. The 43-year-old detailed a harrowing account of the abuse aimed at his partner Polly in the aftermath of the game that threatened his family.

Now Polly herself has spoken out on Twitter.

“I’ve seen some things in the last few years, but receiving direct messages from rugby ‘fans’ threatening to kill your kids & burn your house down with your family in it over a few on-field decisions is a new low for me, my family & a plague for our entire game. It must stop now,” wrote Mrs Barnes.

I’ve seen some things in the last few years, but receiving direct messages from rugby ‘fans’ threatening to kill your kids & burn your house down with your family in it over a few on-field decisions is a new low for me, my family & a plague for our entire game. It must stop now. https://t.co/JszdNNQt9f

— polly barnes (@pollybarnes_) December 15, 2022

“Now my mates know why I train so hard at karate! (Half a joke; not even funny) It’s not been the best few weeks, but the saddest thing is that that isn’t new. We need to examine how we behave in our sport before we claim to be superior to others.”

Now my mates know why I train so hard at karate! (Half a joke; not even funny)

It’s not been the best few weeks, but the saddest thing is that that isn’t new.

We need to examine how we behave in our sport before we claim to be superior to others. https://t.co/lP4qtP9wZQ

— polly barnes (@pollybarnes_) December 15, 2022

The revelations over the abuse led renowned Sunday Times journalist Stephen Jones to go after Rassie Erasmus. He wrote: “…attention Rassie Erasmus. You are directly responsible for the horrible abuse suffered by Polly Barnes revealed by Wayne, this week. Your failure to take defeat on the chin and paranoid response to blame the referee should terminate your involvement in pro rugby for good… and SA Rugby are you ever going to make any form of announcement casigating [sic] Erasmus and banishing him. Or maybe to disassociate yourself entirely from the moron SA supporters who abused his family? Never too late.

attention Rassie Erasmus. You are directly responsible for the horrible abuse suffered by Polly Barnes revealed by Wayne, this week. Your failure to take defeat on the chin and paranoid response to blame the referee should terminate your involvement in pro rugby for good.

— Stephen Jones (@stephenjones9) December 14, 2022

and @sarugby are you ever going to make any form of announcement casigating Erasmus and banishing him. Or maybe to disassociate yourself entirely from the moron SA supporters who abused his family? Never too late

— Stephen Jones (@stephenjones9) December 14, 2022

Barnes revealed in the podcast appearance that a committee of the international referees got together and widely agreed that something needs to be done to protect match officials.