Due to social media threats, Wayne Barnes and his wife, Polly Barnes, have been in the spotlight since the Rugby World Cup final. In October 2023, he was appointed as the referee for the Rugby World Cup final between New Zealand and South Africa.
Following the competition, his wife allegedly received death threats. Barnes announced his retirement on November 2, 2023, following social media abuse following the Rugby World Cup final, ending off a stellar career that spanned 111 Test appearances. Wayne and Polly Barnes have known each other their entire lives.
Despite being childhood friends, they didn’t start dating until they were in their mid-20s. Nonetheless, they are married and have two children whom they adore. Wayne Barnes is a former English international rugby union referee who was born in Bream, Gloucestershire, on April 20, 1979.
Branes began his refereeing career with Gloucester & District Referees at the age of 15. At the age of 21, he became the Panel of National Referees’ youngest member. Since April 2005, Barnes has worked as a professional referee, refereeing in prestigious tournaments such as the Rugby World Cup, Six Nations, and Heineken Cup.
Despite criticism at the 2007 Rugby World Cup, he continued to improve. In 2010, he oversaw the Heineken Cup Final, and in 2022, he will oversee his 250th Premiership Rugby match. Barnes, a criminal lawyer and partner at Squire Patton Boggs, will tell his story in his memoir “Throwing the Book,” which will be published on November 9, 2023.
Who Is Wayne Barnes’s Wife, Polly Barnes?
Wayne Barnes married Polly Barnes, his lifelong love, and the couple currently live in London. They allegedly married in the early 2000s and have been together ever then. Polly, too, has had a lifelong relationship with rugby, from her first introduction to the game to her current position as co-founder and director of the Women’s Rugby Association. Mrs. Barnes was a rugby player who started when she was about eleven years old.
She had to give up rugby to pursue her dreams of studying ballet and modern dance. Polly met Wayne at the age of eleven, and her spouse at the age of sixteen. To learn more about their relationship, the former rugby union referee began interviewing Polly when she was about sixteen years old. Polly succumbed to Wayne’s relentless efforts around the age of 24. The Barneses are now the proud parents of two little children, Juno and Beau.
Online Threats to the Family
The most recent match for Wayne Barnes was one of his most tough. In New Zealand’s 12-11 loss to South Africa in the Rugby World Cup final, he issued the first red card to captain Sam Cane. Following the defeat, New Zealand fans began cursing the 44-year-old referee.
Barnes announced his retirement from officiating a few days later. Wayne has spoken out against social media abuse, branding it ‘evil’ and urging that it be stopped. According to him, “When people make threats against your wife and kids, they should be held accountable and punished.”
“Threats of sexual violence, threats of saying we know where you live,” Barnes went on to claim. It goes over that line.” Wayne also claims to use social media to promote charitable work and officiating, emphasizing the hardships of the job and humanizing it. He went on to explain that, “I make that choice, and with that choice comes the ability for people to send messages of hate and violence.” Barnes hopes that his experience and retirement can be of assistance to the next generation of referees who face similar challenges.
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