Prospective Australian test players for the Rugby World Cup face exile from the team for off-field indiscretions, Australian Rugby Union managing director John O'Neill said Tuesday.
Last week, Matt Dunning, who is yet to play for the Wallabies, broke the nose of New South Wales Waratahs teammate Des Tuiavii following an end-of-season drinking party.
The New South Wales Rugby Union disciplinary committee is investigating the incident and is expected to make a decision on any action by the end of this week. Wallabies flanker George Smith is also under police investigation after an incident in late March outside a Canberra nightclub which left a student with some facial injuries.
"I don't think anyone could pretend the sort of publicity generated is what the ARU wants or seeks," O'Neill told New Zealand Press Association.
"The Wallabies enjoy a fantastically good reputation and there's too much invested in that good name to allow individuals to drag it down."
O'Neill said off-field behavior was a delicate issue but "in the event a player behaved consistently poorly and it's not in the best interests of rugby then you'd have to consider dropping them on disciplinary grounds."
Former Wallaby David Campese said the incidents involving Smith and Dunning were worrying.
A seven-year-old horse had to be euthanized on Friday after breaking its back on the final fence of a Grand National steeplechase race that it won despite sustaining the serious injury. It follows the death of four horses at the Cheltenham Festival last month — including one after the prestigious Gold Cup. Gold Dancer was competing in the Mildmay Novices’ Chase during Ladies Day at Aintree’s Grand National Festival. The horse managed to cross the finish line approximately four lengths ahead of runner-up Regent’s Stroll. “The winner of our second race of the day, Gold Dancer, was pulled up after
Taiwanese gymnast Tang Chia-hung on Sunday topped the men’s horizontal bar event at the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) World Cup in Osijek, Croatia, scoring 15.233 to take his third title this season. Tang delivered an outstanding performance in the final, earning a difficulty score of 6.500 and an execution score of 8.633 with a 0.1 stick bonus. His closest competitor was Milad Karimi of Kazakhstan, who finished second with 14.933 points. It was Tang’s third gold medal in the FIG World Cup series this year, following his horizontal bar wins in Azerbaijan on March 8, and in Turkey on March
The Daredevils yesterday took eight catches in the final as they eked out a victory in the Taiwan Cricket Triangular Tournament against PCCT at Yingfeng Cricket Ground in Taipei’s Songshan District. PCCT’s batting lineup collapsed after they asked the Daredevils to bowl in the T20 decider of the weekend tournament that also involved the Formosa Cricket Club. PCCT were bundled out for 76 in 16.2 overs against a disciplined Daredevils attack. Ninad Malwade was the top scorer in the innings with 21, but he was among those who offered chances to the fielders. Shane Ferreira and Jason Cameron took three wickets each, with
This year’s Taiwan Athletics Open, which offers Taiwanese athletes an opportunity to compete against their international peers, would be held under a new name after its organizers had earlier announced the event’s cancelation. In a statement issued yesterday, the Chinese Taipei Athletics Association said the competition would still take place on June 6-7 at Banciao Stadium, but under the name “New Taipei City Athletics Open 2026.” The event was given a new name to emphasize its local identity and conform with the international practice of naming World Athletics Tour events after cities, the association said. It said it would soon
RSS