To say that the new White Card system in Super Rugby is a disputatious issue, would be stating the obvious. However, SANZAR boss Greg Peters feels the trial is serving its purpose.

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It has evoked bitter emotions and caused some animated reactions from both sides of fence, since SANZAR – with permission from the International Rugby Board – allowed referees to use a white card this year.

Who can forget how Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder accused the Bulls of “manipulating” the system and demanded an apology from them when two white cards were issued against his team during their match in Pretoria in Week Seven – after Bulls captain Pierre Spies asked referee Jaco Peyper to review incidents in the 39th and 41st minutes.

The allegations of contact being made with the eyes of Bulls players Chiliboy Ralepelle and Flip van der Merwe were reviewed by the citing commissioner, who ruled that he could not find video evidence to proceed with the matter.

However, the acrimonious fall-out, over Blackadder’s demands for an apology and the Bulls’ equally strong retort that they were fully within their rights, caused an immediate change to the process.

That was not the only incident that caused a major outcry. In the match between the Rebels and the Waratahs, Tom Carter of the Waratahs complained to  referee Bryce Lawrence that he had been ‘eye-gouged’ by Adam Byrnes of the Rebels. Byrnes was cited, banned and then won an appeal.

There were other less contentious incidents – Bulls scrumhalf Francois Hougaard sat out his team’s defeat to the Blues because he was banned for one week for a tip tackle on a white-card review, Cheetahs centre Andries Strauss was banned for two weeks for a tip tackle on a white card review, Sharks prop Jannie du Plessis was issued an off field yellow card on a white card review after sparking an all-out brawl against the Hurricanes, while props Dan Palmer (Brumbies) and Ben Daley (Reds) were also issued off-field yellow cards after they threw multiple wild flailing punches at each other.

While opinions remain divided as to the value if the white card system, Peters said the trial should run its course before judgement is passed.

“You have to take the whole system into context,” Peters told this website in an exclusive and broad-gauged interview.

“There are a number of elements to the trial … and I stress it is a trial.

“We have made some changes as we moved through, one of which is that if you refer an incident to the referee on the field, we will expect you to follow it up off the field with a written explanation as to why you complained or why you refereed the matter.

“That is a change we have made through this trial.”

The SANZAR boss said the white card was always going to be for three incidents and a primary reason was also to “educate” the fans or at least tell the fans that an incident has been looked at.

“In the past they would have sat at home and said: ‘Ah, the referee didn’t do anything about that.’ They might not have been aware that the citing commissioner have been reviewing various incidents in the match, whereas now we are saying: ‘We are referring that matter, you have a look at it’.”

Apart from “informing” spectators – both at home an at the stadiums – the white card system has also given match officials additional powers, according to Peters.

The three incidents are:

1.   Firstly when a referee hasn’t seen exactly what happened and can’t be clear and he wants to get somebody to have another look at it, because it might be a red card or warrant further action to be taken off the field.
2. Secondly, when he is aware of something happening and hadn’t seen it happening.
3. And thirdly when it has been referred to him by a player, when there has been a complaint made.

Peters, when asked if he was happy that match officials were using the system correctly, he said he would rather they use it less than more.

“I am happy with the numbers at the moment … we have had 10 [white card incidents up till Week Nine],” he told this website.

“What we do not want is for the referee to abdicate their responsibility on the field, to make a decision that he has always made.

“If you look at the incidents, they have largely been ones where he couldn’t make a decision because he didn’t see it.

“Now he is able to refer it.

“From memory there is Jeremy Thrush with a trip, when he wasn’t sure it was a foot trip or not and he wanted it looked at. There were three cases of potential contact with the eye … with different results out of those – again, not seen by the referee. {There was] one tip tackle, when he didn’t have a clear enough view to see if it was a red card tip or a yellow card tip.”

Peters said in the past the referee wouldn’t have had the option to do anything about those incidents, because he didn’t see it or it wasn’t clear enough.

Asked if he was happy that more foul play incidents were being picked up, the SANZAR CEO said the aim of the trial is for more “consistency”, fewer full hearings and a simpler process.

“I think, halfway through the season, those things are working,” Peters said, adding: “We’ve had citing commissioners as they now more formally collaborate around incidents.

“One citing commissioner is appointed to view a match, but he will collaborate with his colleagues about incidents he wants to cite or not cite. He will say: ‘I am going to cite this, what do you think?’ The other guys will look at it and say: ‘In regards with what we have dealt with previously, we think that meets the tests and we think you should cite’.”

He said the entire system is working much smoother, with much improvement where it is “being expedited for the duty judicial officer”.

“We have now had seven of those hearings and for that to happen a player has to plead guilty and accept the penalty handed down.

“That’s got a level of consistency.

“For one thing we can offer the player a ‘discount’ for an early plea and we would have a consistent approach to sanctioning. We have only had two full-blown hearings and last year we had seven – a lot time saved, the process is quicker and more efficient.”