IT'S no great secret that when the World Rugby Classic rolls into town, partying takes precedence over playing.

Some might consider the Classic as one of Bermuda's great sporting occasions. One of the Island's great social occasions might be a more accurate description.

Anybody who questions that need only listen to the players themselves.

Following the All Blacks surprise defeat by the USA on the opening day of this year's tournament, Buck Shelford, the revered New Zealand No. 8, openly admitted that his side "might have had a few too many beers . . ."

Then assessing his team's chances against South Africa, American skipper Craig Hartley alluded to the fact that "despite the Dark `n Stormies", he expected another rousing performance.

Nothing too much wrong with those comments. While some might not approve, the association between rugby and alcohol is no more peculiar than that of cheese and biscuits.

But perhaps the most astonishing remarks from this week's Classic were uttered by the Canadian captain Tom Woods following his side's defeat by the Barbarians.

Describing the physical side of what, after all, is a bruising, contact sport, Woods had this to say:

"As much as we have made a tremendous amount of friends down here, you leave it all on the field.

"That's what we like. We like to be able to punch guys out, have fun out there, take a few shots in the gap and then have beers with them afterwards."

Woods conceded that not only did his players not mind the rough stuff, they positively encouraged it.

"The physical stuff is what we are best at," he crowed. "When we are dropping the gloves and backing each other up in situations that are tight and there are boots and fists flying, that's when we are at our best."

Punch guys out? Dropping the gloves? Boots and fists flying?

Woods' interpretation of the game sounds more like a bar brawl.

One wonders what the repercussions might have been had a skipper of any of the teams currently competing in the World Cup in Australia made similar comments.

It's safe to say the hierarchy of rugby's world governing body would not have been impressed.

Of course, Canada aren't exactly a world force in rugby. Most of their players have likely been brought up on a diet of ice hockey where, particularly in the professional ranks, fist fights are part and parcel of the game, even encouraged by those who run the sport in order to generate TV interest.

Rugby, however, generally has a reputation of being hard but fair.

And the Classic, despite its dependence on the social activities which follow, and even precede the game - what other major sporting event has its big party the night before the final? - should be no different.

Yes, it's a rough and tumble game. And we all know that tempers are going to flare, accounts will be settled and punches will be thrown in the course of any match.

But there are some things in sport best left unsaid.

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REFEREE shortage or not, one couldn't help think that last Sunday's debacle at BAA Field, when the opening league football game of the season between North Village and Boulevard was called off after only one of the three assigned officials turned up, might have been avoided.

From information gathered since, it seems that at least one of the no-show linesmen had informed the BFA of his unavailability some time in advance.

And there should have been ample time to find a replacement, even if that meant poaching an official who had previously been assigned to a First Division game.

The Premier Division is supposedly the top flight of local soccer and, particularly in a game featuring the defending league champions, should be afforded some priority.

That some First Division games were played last Sunday with a full complement of officials and the feature game of the day had to be postponed because there was no-one to run the line doesn't make a lot of sense.

And as almost everyone agreed afterwards, if such a scenario can unfold on the opening day of the season, we can expect more of the like in the weeks to come.

The dire shortage of officials has become a perennial problem and it's perhaps time that the governing body took a no-nonsense approach.

One solution would be for the BFA to demand that every club registered in every division - Premier, First, Commercial, Women's - provide a minimum of two members who are prepared to be properly trained by the Bermuda Referees Association to a standard by which they are at least competent to act as linesmen.

They could be former players, current players, administrators or simply members who have an interest in football.

If clubs can't make that guarantee, then they can't play. Simple as that!

- ADRIAN ROBSON