Wide-ranging improvements to the way Bermuda's World Rugby Classic is played have been suggested by the manager of one of the tournament's top teams.

Allan Martin, whose Classic Lions were dumped out of this month's event by eventual winners, South Africa, believes more stringent penalties for indisclipine is just one area where the Island's blue ribbond rugby event can be improved.

Martin said he would like to see better referees and touch judges, greater use of red and yellow cards for deliberate and continuous infringements, two yellow cards resulting in a dismissal and expulsion from the event, and a team collecting five yellow cards losing a player for the tournament.

Other issues he would like to see addressed include an end to passive scrums, the age limit lifted to over 35 by the start of the tournament, matches played 30 minutes each way with the final 35 minutes each way and squads increased to 25 players, with 10 allowed on the bench.

He was also critical of the Nationals playing surface and believed the floodlighting surrounding the pitch needed improving.

Classic President John Kane agreed with some of Martin's sentiments but believed he was wide of the mark on others.

Kane said he believed a lot of the incidents of indisclipine and infringements were caused by teams not kicking penalties.

This, he said, was an area that was being addressed and would hopefully result in teams going for the extra points next year.

Regarding the greater use of yellow cards, Kane said that was a subject encouraged this year and would be again next.

However, on the subject of match officials he was more scathing.

"For crying out loud they had Derek Bevan and John Pearson, who are both international referees, they've had Paddy Tynan for the past six or seven years. They also had Freek Burger who was one of the major referees in the World Cup last time around, so to say better referees is nonsense,'' he said.

"What I think he is probably getting at is having more intervention from touch judges. Obviously our (local) guys would be slightly overawed about it.

We have already talked to a number of people about having more international referees and some of them doing the touch judging as well.'' Kane said he understood Martin's comments with regards to raising the age limit, but said with players retiring earlier the limit was more likely to come down than go up.

Addressing the standard of the pitch and lighting, Kane said: "It is easy to turn round and say we need a better ground but there was nothing wrong with the ground to my knowledge.

"I think the lights need to be better and we are certainly working on that but there is nothing wrong with the playing surface.

"We are the ones who put in the lights but we don't have any power over the quality of the ground. To my mind that is a bit over the top.'' Despite his suggestions and the fact that the Lions failed to make it to the final, Martin said the Millennium event had been hugely enjoyable.

"I was disappointed we did not reach the final. Our forwards played well in the semi-final against the Springboks. However our backs let us down, coupled with some poor refereeing,'' he said. "I hope we have learned from our mistakes and will put them right in 2001.'' Martin said the South Africans, who secured their first Classic victory by thrashing Argentina, would have to be matched if any team wanted to loosen their grip on the title.

"The standard this year was lifted by the speed of the Springbok three-quarter play,'' he said. "If any team is to win the tournament they will have to match that standard which is only good for the long-term future of the Classic.'' For those with family and friends in the UK or other parts of Europe this year's Classic will be screened by Sky Television.

The tournament will be on Sky Sports 3 at 8.00 p.m. UK time tomorrow, 10 a.m.

on Sky Sports 1 on Wednesday and 3.00 p.m. on Sky Sports 2 on Christmas Day.