Referee Andrew Brace going to TMO Brian MacNeice during Rugby World Cup clash between England and Samoa.
A rugby fan in Australia has been convicted of sending online abuse to a match official during the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
Aaron Isaia, a 22-year-old New Zealand-born supporter living in Australia, pleaded guilty to one count of using a carriage service to menace or harass via online communication.
Isaia targeted television match official Brian MacNeice following the World Cup clash between England and Samoa.
The perpetrator sent abusive messages via Facebook to MacNeice and his wife, reportedly mentioning their children, after a decision went against the Pacific Islanders during their 18-17 defeat to the Red Rose.
The defendant was handed a $1,000 (£522) 12-month suspended fine by Australian authorities and the decision has been ‘welcomed’ by World Rugby.
“World Rugby welcomes this landmark outcome,” Chief executive Alan Gilpin said.
“The vile and toxic abuse is an all too common occurrence for many sports men and women and public figures, and we hope that this sends a very strong message to online trolls that such behaviour is totally unacceptable and that the sport and the authorities are prepared to take action.
“We are delighted to be extending our relationship with Signify Group to tackle online abuse in our sport.
“In addition to the support provided to our match officials, the partnership has enabled us to focus on the insights that help us better understand the triggers, tactics and threats and how best to mitigate them.”
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The governing body teamed up with informational services company Signify during the World Cup to monitor social media abuse of officials, players and teams.
Signify flagged 1,600 accounts which breached community guidelines, leading to multiple pending prosecutions.
World Rugby announced in January that a man in Australia had been charged and that there were several other cases ongoing in South Africa, France, New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom.
As a result, there could be many more convictions for match official abuse going forward.
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