Wayne Barnes and his wife, Polly Barnes, have been in the spotlight after the Rugby World Cup final because of social media threats. He was chosen as the referee for the 2023 Rugby World Cup final between New Zealand and South Africa in October 2023. His wife allegedly received death threats after the match. Barnes retired on 2 November 2023, after abuse on social media following the Rugby World Cup final, ending an impressive career that spanned 111 Test matches. Wayne and Polly Barnes have known each other all their lives. Despite being friends since childhood, they only started dating in their mid-20s. Nevertheless, they are married and loving parents to their two children.
Wayne Barnes is a former English international rugby union referee born on 20 April 1979, in Bream, Gloucestershire. Branes began his refereeing career at the age of 15 with Gloucester & District Referees. At the age of 21, he became the youngest referee elected to the National Referee Panel. Barnes has been a professional referee since April 2005, officiating at prestigious competitions such as the Rugby World Cup, the Six Nations, and the Heineken Cup.
Despite being criticized during the 2007 Rugby World Cup, he continued to make progress. He oversaw the Heineken Cup Final in 2010 and will oversee his 250th Premier League Rugby match in 2022. Outside of rugby, Barnes, a criminal lawyer and partner at Squire Patton Boggs, describes his story in his planned memoir “Throwing the Book.” to be published on November 9, 2023.
Who Was Wayne Barnes’ Wife, Polly Barnes?
Wayne Barnes married the love of his life, Polly Barnes, and they now live in London. They supposedly got married in the early 2000s and have been together ever since. Polly has also had a deep connection with rugby throughout her life, from her first introduction to the sport to her current role as co-founder and director of the Women’s Rugby Association. Mrs Barnes was a rugby player who started playing when she was about eleven years old.
He had to give up rugby, however, because he wanted to study ballet and modern dance. Polly met Wayne when she was eleven, and her husband when she was sixteen. To delve further into their relationship, the former rugby union referee began questioning Polly when she was about sixteen years old. Polly finally succumbed to Wayne’s persistent efforts around the age of 24. The Barneses are now the happy parents of two young children called Juno and Beau.
Online Threats To Families
Wayne Barnes’ recent games have been among the toughest. In the 12-11 loss to South Africa in the final of the Rugby World Cup, he issued the first red card to New Zealand captain Sam Cane. Following the setback, New Zealand fans started hurling insults at the 44-year-old referee. A few days later, Barnes announced his retirement from officiating. Wayne has spoken out against social media harassment, calling it ‘evil’ and demanding action. He told BBC Sports, “When people make threats against your wife and children, they should be held accountable and punished.”
“Threats of sexual violence, threats saying we know where you live,” Barnes said. It crosses that line.” Furthermore, Wayne claims that he uses social media to promote charity work and officiate, highlighting the difficulties of the job and humanizing it. He went on to say, “I made that choice, and with that choice comes the ability for people to send messages of hate and violence.” Barnes hopes his experience and retirement will help the next generation of referees face similar problems.
Categories: Biography
Source: SCHOOL TRANG DAI
