"This is Not Soccer"

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by RefWEB

Speaking as an official from another sport, if I was the lone guy in the middle of those behemoths, I'd wanna establish alpha male credibility ASAP

What the players respect is not alpha male credibility, but just plain credibiity. I've never seen a rugby ref intimidated or looking like he needed to be intimidated except insofar as he wasn't sure of himself. If you were indeed an official from another sport perceived as a newbie reffing a rugby match, you might be in that situation.