Irish Examiner view: Time to better protect referees

The Oireachtas sports committee has heard that some referees have been attacked on the field and threatened with stabbing

The FAI has dealt with 34 cases of referees being physically assaulted in the last two years; the IRFU has had 27 reports of officials being abused this year alone.

We usually associate whistleblowers with employees who expose information or activity within a private, public, or government organisation that is deemed to be illegal, illicit, unsafe, fraud, or abuse of taxpayer money.

But, of course, it also applies to sports referees, those professional whistleblowers who often get a hard time from fans.