Something’s Rotten in the State of Rugby

I tend not to write much serious stuff here – today is an exception.

Rugby followers (including me) have always been a bit superior about the games values and integrity, in particular with regard to football.

An increasing number of incidents are now calling this smugness into question.

The higher profile of the sport now inevitably means that there is greater focus on rugby – but there can be no excuse for what is happening.

For example, Wellington Rugby needs to take a close look at itself following the Chiefs debacle in their end of season they now find themselves involved in the case of Losi Filipo a young player who has escaped conviction for a serious assault of 4 people – including two women –

http://m.nzherald.co.nz/rugby/news/article.cfm?c_id=80&objectid=11717824

Whilst it the judge who must bear most responsibility – Wellington RU are doing a credible impression of the three wise (?) monkeys

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/84699134/why-judge-didnt-convict-losi-filipo-for-fairly-serious-case-of-street-violence

The judge has come under pressure in the media from a number of people, including the PM –

https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/sport/rugby/you-should-held-same-set-rules-everybody-else-pm-responds-after-wellington-rugby-player-escapes-conviction

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/84685601/paul-henry-criticises-judge-rugby-boss-after-player-discharged-for-serious-assault

New Zealand may be the best rugby players on the planet but their judicial system is myopic when it comes to being lenient with rugby players –

http://m.nzherald.co.nz/rugby/news/article.cfm?c_id=80&objectid=11717666

However it is not just in NZ that the game needs to take a close look at itself.

At the Bristol game on Friday night a fight broke out between fans –

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/2016/09/26/friday-night-crowd-fracas-at-bristol-is-latest-example-of-rugbys/

Fortunately Bristol are taking it seriously –

http://www.bristolrugby.co.uk/news/statement-ashton-gate-bristol-rugby/

And they should – I have watched rugby for more than 50 years across 4 continents and have never seen fan violence or felt intimidated when standing next to the other team’s supporters – rugby prides itself on not segregating fans. It will be a sad day if this ever happens.

By far the worst recent incident involving rugby was in an amateur game in England –

http://metro.co.uk/2016/09/20/rugby-player-jailed-for-kick-so-violent-he-left-opponent-with-concaved-face-6139004/

A player needing £10,000 of facial reconstruction after being deliberately kicked in the face by an opponent in an unprovoked attack.

Quite rightly he’s been jailed – the judge in New Zealand should take note.

In his latest rugby column James Haskell talks about the physicality of the game and what is acceptable – it is a good read –

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/37445645

I deliberately haven’t added any photographs to this piece – the graphic reality of the growing problems for the game are in the various links that have been included.

Rugby needs to heal itself – and quickly!

 

“This above all: to thine own self be true, 
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.”
― William Shakespeare, Hamlet

Update-  In the last hour Wellington Rugby have bowed to public pressure and terminated Filipo’s contract