Former Ireland international Stephen Ferris has voiced strong criticism of officiating and the pace of modern rugby, describing the game as “broken” after Ireland’s 24-13 defeat to South Africa at the Aviva Stadium.

The match, which lasted over two hours, saw referee Matthew Carley issue five yellow cards to Ireland, including an unprecedented upgrade of James Ryan’s yellow card to a 20-minute red card, forcing the hosts to play with just 12 players for ten minutes in the second half. Other players sent to the sin-bin included Sam Prendergast, Jack Crowley, Andrew Porter, and Paddy McCarthy, highlighting Ireland’s ill-discipline.

Ferris, who earned 35 caps for Ireland, argued that the stop-start nature of the game was damaging the sport’s appeal, particularly for younger fans.

“World Rugby needs to find a way to not make a game of rugby 132 minutes long,” Ferris told BBC Sport NI.
“A lot of people messaged me saying they got bored during the game. Especially when bringing kids, their attention span can be short. We have to make it fast and quick.”

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Chaos and Controversy at the Aviva

Ferris described the match as chaotic, with repeated penalties at scrum-time and multiple sin-bins creating confusion.

“In Dublin, it felt like the game was broken. I didn’t have a clue what was going on, and if I didn’t understand sitting on the sideline, what did the 52,000 fans in the stadium think? It was a mess,” he said.

He noted that Ireland’s discipline was a contributing factor, but argued that the game could have been handled more consistently under a referee like Nigel Owens, known for maintaining free-flowing play.

“A large part was down to Ireland of course, because of their ill-discipline, but if there was a Nigel Owens in charge, there would have been more consistency and the free-flowing rugby we want to pay to watch.”

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Ireland’s Autumn Nations Series Performance

Ireland ended the Autumn Nations Series with two wins (against Japan and Australia) and two losses (to New Zealand and South Africa), in what Ferris described as a disappointing month for Andy Farrell’s side.

Looking ahead to the 2026 Six Nations, Ireland will open the tournament away against holders France in Paris. Ferris acknowledged that France and England currently appear stronger in the Rugby World Cup cycle, adding pressure on Ireland to perform.

“Six Nations is about getting as high up the table as possible, and Ireland’s objective will be winning it,” Ferris said.
“There’s a lot of prize money to play for, which helps fund the union. Taking everything into consideration, Ireland will be one of the favourites, but there’s a little part of me worried about the other teams. If you get off to a tricky start, it can impact the rest of the campaign. I’ve been there and done it.”

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Calls for Change in Rugby Officiating

Ferris’ comments have reignited debate over officiating standards and the growing length and complexity of international rugby games. Fans, former players, and commentators are increasingly calling on World Rugby to introduce reforms that maintain discipline while keeping matches engaging and fast-paced.