Round nine of the National Rugby Championships (NRC) in Australia took place earlier with the first game providing us with what was quite possibly the worst ever decision on a rugby field, and the first ever ‘Own Try’ in rugby.
The Sydney Stars versus North Harbour Rays clash gave Mitch Lewis a chance to bag some meat and get on the scoresheet, but he never would have guessed it would be against his own team.
In football (or soccer) own goals aren’t unsual, as defenders occasionally slot the ball into the back of their own net. In rugby however, no such thing exists, because when a player grounds the ball over his own tryline, it’s a 5m scrum if carried over, or a 22m drop-out if not.
All that changed a few hours ago however, as a bizarre call resulted in the TMO and referee awarding what is quite possibly the first ever own try in rugby! Seriously.
The look on prop Lewis’ face was priceless. At first he was probably concerned that he’d given away a 5m scrum, but when they went upstairs and awarded the try, he was absolutely gobsmacked.
Referee Ian Smith struggled to see who planted the ball, and with both teams having yellow at the top of their jerseys, the Television Match Official made an absolute hash of the decision. Sydney went on to win the match 49-40 against Lewis’ North Harbour Rays.
https://youtu.be/KCY6_iyOP5I
credit: North Harbour Rays
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