This paper explores the factors associated with official bias and its association with match outcomes. Data are drawn from 2,032 matches of the international rugby club competition, the `United Rugby Championship` (URC) spanning the 2003-2004 to 2020-2021 seasons. Analysis including and excluding games whose attendance was affected by the COVID-19 reveals no evidence that disciplinary sanction is associated with match outcomes. Estimates also show that there is no association between the nationality of the on-field official being shared by any of the teams and sanction or match outcome. However, it is identified that having a home nationality Television Match Official (TMO) is associated with an increase in the incidence of away team sanction. The results support the case for neutral TMOs.
© Copyright 2025 Journal of Sports Sciences. Taylor & Francis. All rights reserved.