Englishman Wayne Barnes has retired as an international rugby referee, just days after presiding over the All Blacks' heartbreaking World Cup final defeat to South Africa at Paris.
In his first World Cup final after a 17-year career, Barnes drew the ire of Kiwi fans, when he yellow-carded All Blacks captain Sam Cane during the tournament climax and - urged by TV match officials - upgraded the card to red for a high tackle.
New Zealand had to play with only 14 men for most of the match, before eventually falling 12-11.
Later, Barnes carded Springboks captain Siya Kolisi for a similar offence, but the flanker was allowed back on the field, when his offence was deemed not as serious.
While Barnes will forever be the public face of those rulings and was subsequently targeted for online abuse and death threats, TMO Tom Foley was at least as culpable.
"Wayne's a quality person and has been a quality referee for a long, long time," said All Blacks coach Ian Foster. "I didn't agree with a number of his decisions last night, but that doesn't change the fact he's a quality person and a quality referee.
"The issues in the game, many of them were outside his control."
Since his test debut during the 2005 Pacific Five Nations, Barnes, 44, has broken or set many international referee records, logging 111 tests, including five World Cup tournament and 27 World Cup matches.
"Wayne has been a truly fantastic ambassador for rugby, both on and off the pitch," said World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont. "What makes him so special is not only his stellar refereeing career, but his wider contribution to the game, making refereeing more accessible to more people.
"He will rightly be remembered as one of the greats - a credit to the game, his nation and his family.
"Refereeing is a tough job, perhaps the toughest in sport. It takes a special person with passion, dedication and a support network around them to be so good for so long, to referee 111 tests and to earn the respect of players, coaches and fans alike."
Barnes also officiated another dark day in NZ rugby history, when he missed an apparent French forward pass during the All Blacks' 2007 World Cup quarter-final defeat at Cardiff. For years, he was vilified for that performance, but eventually won over many of his Kiwis critics.
When he celebrated his 100th test between All Blacks and Wales, ironically, at Cardiff last year, the New Zealand team made a special jersey presentation to mark the occasion. He also presided over some the All Blacks' greatest tests, including their World Cup quarter-final victory over world No.1 Ireland in France.
"I will continue to advocate for referees and work closely with the International Rugby Match Officials Association to ensure match officials across the globe not only have a collective voice, but also the appropriate support network for them and their families, particularly as online abuse and threats have become far too regular for all of those involved in the game," said Barnes.
