England center Manu Tuilagi is to miss the Rugby World Cup after being convicted of assaulting a taxi driver and two female police officers in the latest off-field indiscretion by the powerful Samoa-born player.
Tuilagi grabbed a cab driver by the throat and kicked the taxi’s wing mirror on a night out in the central English city of Leicester on April 26, British prosecutors said on Friday. When the police officers arrived, he pushed them hard in the chest as they attempted to place him in handcuffs.
Tuilagi was found guilty on Wednesday of two counts of assault, one of assault by beating, and another of causing criminal damage. He must pay ￡6,205 (US$9,800) in fines, compensation, charges and costs.
Photo: AFP
England coach Stuart Lancaster said Tuilagi — who turns 24 tomorrow — would not be considered for selection for the national team until January next year, ruling him out of contention for his home Rugby World Cup, which starts in September.
“It is something I deeply regret and I totally accept the sentence given by the court,” Tuilagi said in a statement. “The club and Stuart have been very supportive and I understand their sanctions, too.”
“I know, as an England player, the need to conduct myself as a good role model for the game. I am very disappointed because my actions have let so many people down, and I can only hope for a future chance to prove myself again,” he said.
Tuilagi, who has 25 caps, is regarded by Lancaster as one of England’s indispensable players. He was a guaranteed member of the World Cup squad provided he recovered from a groin strain which has sidelined him since October last year.
However, his career has been blighted by controversies. He was detained by New Zealand police and fined by England rugby officials for jumping into Auckland harbor from a ferry after England was eliminated from the 2011 World Cup.
In 2013, Tuilagi apologized to British Prime Minister David Cameron after making a “bunny ears” sign behind him during a photo at Downing Street. Tuilagi and other members of the British and Irish Lions squad were there following a 2-1 series victory over Australia.
“As role models and ambassadors for the game, the highest standards of behavior are expected from every England player both on and off the field,” Lancaster said. “Having spoken to Manu, he understands and accepts both the seriousness of the offenses to which he has pleaded guilty and the consequences of his behavior to his club, country and the game as a whole.”
Lancaster has established a reputation for being a disciplinarian, taking a strict approach to off-field misbehavior since becoming coach after England’s 2011 World Cup campaign that was marred by indiscipline.
Scrumhalf Danny Care was dropped for the Six Nations in 2012 after being arrested twice in three weeks for alcohol-related offenses.
It is a big call by Lancaster, with Tuilagi one of the best line-breakers in world rugby. Midfield has been a problem area for England and Lancaster could now stick with a center partnership of Jonathan Joseph and Luther Burrell, which fared well in this year’s Six Nations.
Tuilagi’s club, Leicester Tigers, is also taking internal disciplinary action.
“Manu knows and accepts his responsibilities and has received a significant punishment in being excluded from the England squad,” Leicester director of rugby Richard Cockerill said. “While we do not in any way condone his actions in this case, Manu is a young man who has grown up in the public eye and he is a good professional in a top-level environment.”
Taiwan’s Lee Hao-yu on Friday went 0-for-3 in his MLB debut for the Detroit Tigers against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, becoming the 19th Taiwan-born player to reach the big leagues. The Tigers ultimately lost 1-0 in 10 innings, ending their six-game winning streak. The 23-year-old started at third base and batted eighth for Detroit. He was promoted from Triple-A Toledo ahead of the four-game series against the Red Sox at the latter’s home stadium, replacing injured utility player Zach McKinstry. “Being right-handed, and given our schedule, I think six of the next 12 games are going to
When Paddy Dwyer arrived in China in 1976, crowds jostled to catch a glimpse of him and his companions — the first Western soccer team to play in the country. China was emerging from the chaos of the Cultural Revolution, and on the brink of market reforms that would take the country from economic stagnation to explosive growth. “All we could see was lines of people running beside our bus, trying to look in the windows, to see their first visual of a white person,” he said. “It was all bicycles,” he said. “There were very few cars to be seen.” Dwyer,
Matheus Cunha on Saturday fired Manchester United toward the UEFA Champions League with a 1-0 win at Chelsea, while Tottenham Hotspur remain in the relegation zone after twice blowing the lead to draw with Brighton & Hove Albion. Chelsea failed to take advantage of a United defense ravaged by injury and suspension as a fourth straight league defeat for the Blues left their Champions League hopes in ruins. United have missed out on the riches of Europe’s elite competition for the past two seasons, but are closing in on a return thanks to an upturn in fortunes under interim manager
A new NZ$683 million (US$404 million) stadium that was a symbol of Christchurch’s struggle to rebuild after a deadly earthquake struck the New Zealand city is to host its first match tomorrow in front of a sellout crowd. A magnitude 6.2 earthquake killed 185 people in February 2011 and toppled or damaged buildings, including the city’s old Lancaster Park. The stadium, which hosted international rugby and cricket, and was home to the Canterbury Crusaders, was badly damaged and never reopened. It was bulldozed in 2019 and turned into sports fields, leaving the Crusaders without a permanent home. Government funding for a new stadium was
RSS