The Breakdown | Rugby must open up to combat online abuse after Farrell and Foley step back

Could vitriol on social media be curbed if the sport improved communication among players, referees, clubs and supporters? And so it goes on. First the England captain Owen Farrell has stepped aside from international rugby union and now the referee Tom Foley, the television match official in the World Cup final, has followed suit. Both have cited abuse and criticism online as a factor in their decisions, both have expressed their desire to reduce the pressure and scrutiny on themselves and thei...