Referees have warned that rugby union’s core values of sportsmanship and respect are being eroded by a rise in the verbal and physical abuse of match officials.

A Daily Telegraph investigation yesterday revealed the serious problems facing referees in football, but new and previously unseen research has uncovered a comparable issue in rugby. The findings will shock many rugby fans, who have always believed that their sport is less troubled by abusive behaviour, and indicate a worrying wider societal trend.

More than 100 rugby referees were surveyed and, of those, 67 per cent said that they had been subjected to abuse. Of those, 90 per cent reported that it was verbal and 10 per cent said that it was physical. A clear majority – 74 per cent – also said that it was increasing and affecting their enjoyment of the game, while a big majority – 86 per cent – agreed there had been an erosion of respect and sportsmanship against the values of rugby.