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RUGBY: Springboks fined over armbands, ‘justice’ protest

South Africa’s Wynand Olivier, wearing an armband bearing the word “justice,” vies for the ball with the British and Irish Lions’ Stephen Jones at Ellis Park in Johannesburg, South Africa, on July 4. PHOTO: EPA

World rugby’s governing body on Monday found the South African Rugby Union (SARU), the Springboks and team officials guilty of bringing the game into disrepute with their armband protest against a two-week ban given to Bakkies Botha.

The charges upheld on Monday by the International Rugby Board’s (IRB) independent disciplinary committee were laid after the Springboks wore white armbands bearing the word “justice” during their third Test defeat by the British and Irish Lions last month.

The armbands were worn as a symbol of solidarity with lock Botha, who the South Africans felt had been unfairly banned for dangerously charging into a ruck during the second Test of the series.

The independent committee imposed fines of £10,000 (US$16,400) on SARU, £1,000 on Springbok skipper John Smit and £200 on each of the other players.

The committee said the sanctions would have been much more severe but for legal technicalities and the IRB could yet seek tougher measures by appealing against the ruling of its disciplinary committee.

SARU acknowledged the guilty verdict but held off a response until it had reviewed the findings.

“We note the outcome of the International Rugby Board’s Disciplinary Committee hearing into the charges brought against the South African Rugby Union, Springbok players and management,” SARU president Oregan Hoskins said. “We are reviewing the full findings of the committee and will respond once that review is concluded.”

The IRB committee was made up of two judges, Sir John Hansen of New Zealand and Guillermo Tragant of Argentina, and former Australian captain John Eales.

In its ruling, the committee said that the action of the Springboks “brought the game into disrepute, criticized the judicial process and was misconduct.”

The committee also noted the absence of any apology from SARU, the team’s management or the players themselves and emphasized that “the playing arena is no place for protest” and that the wearing of the armbands “showed a serious lack of respect and consideration for their opponents.”

SARU was found to have failed to make any attempt to prevent the protest, approved of it and effectively consented to conduct which was prejudicial to the best interests of the IRB and of the game.

In a statement the IRB added that: “The Independent Committee was unanimous in its view that, had it not been for the legal technicalities ... both SARU and the Springbok players and management would have faced much more serious sanctions, including a more severe fine in the case of SARU and the suspension of the Springbok players and management from the Rugby World Cup 2011 [such sanction to have been suspended in the absence of further acts of misconduct before then].”

The IRB said it was “extremely disappointed” at the level of sanctions imposed and would consider an appeal in the hope of securing tougher punishment to act as a deterrent against any repeat of the Springboks’ action by players around the world.



■BLOODGATE

REUTERS, LONDON

Harlequins escaped further punishment from the Rugby Football Union (RFU) on Monday despite evidence they faked blood injuries on four additional occasions to the high-profile one they have already been disciplined for.

Former Harlequins director of rugby Dean Richards was given a global three-year ban this month for his role in fabricating a blood injury to wing Tom Williams during a Heineken Cup quarter-final against Leinster in April.

Williams, who was replaced by specialist goalkicker Nick Evans near the end of the game, received a four-month ban while the club’s physio Steph Brennan was banned for two years. The club was also fined 300,000 euros (US$430,000).

After reviewing evidence from the European Rugby Cup (ERC), the RFU chief disciplinary officer Jeff Blackett said no action would be taken against the four unnamed players involved in the other Harlequins incidents because the decisions to use fake blood had been made by team management.

The RFU added that Harlequins were not the only club to fabricate injuries.

“It is apparent from evidence provided to the Harlequins internal review by players who described practices in other teams in which they have played, that Harlequins is not the only club which may have been guilty of inappropriate behavior of a similar kind,” the RFU said in a statement.

“We will be setting up a game-wide task force to review all issues associated with recent events,” RFU chief executive Francis Baron said in the statement.
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