An Australian study has confirmed what many rugby fans long suspected, referees are biased.
The study by the Queensland University of Technology study has found that bias is linked to a referees' national identity.
The study looked at data from the Super 14 rugby competition in 2009, the European Super League from 2006-2009 and also considered results in the 2011 Super rugby competition.
Professional Lionel Page, says they found teams were more likely to succeed when playing a team from another country, with a referee of their own nationality involved.
He says not only do referees make more decisions in favour of the team of their own nationality, but the bias is more likely to happen at critical times in the match.
