Rugby Union players getting to grips with covid - not

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Paul Waine
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Rugby Union players getting to grips with covid - not

Post by Paul Waine » Fri Oct 23, 2020 4:20 pm

Yet another group of sportsmen falling short of covid-19 protocols. Of course, they are "sorry" - afterwards.

England v Barbarians called off after players breach Covid rules

www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/54656359

England's match against the Barbarians at Twickenham on Sunday has been called off after 12 Barbarians players were stood down for breaking Covid rules.

The players left their hotel bubble - contrary to team protocols - to have dinner at a London restaurant.

During its investigation, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) said it discovered another breach where players left the hotel without permission.

Former England captain Chris Robshaw is among the players who have apologised.

The RFU said the players' actions meant the "bubble environment" was compromised.

"We are incredibly disappointed to be calling a halt to this fixture," said RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney. "We know how much fans were looking forward to seeing the teams play.

"However, our priority is to protect the health and safety of the England squad and the other international teams they will go up against this autumn."

Robshaw, Richard Wigglesworth, Sean Maitland and Jackson Wray were among the 12 players stood down from the fixture, along with a number of other Saracens players.

Robshaw, who is set to join San Diego Legion in the US, expressed his "deepest apologies" for "leaving the hotel post-training with some of my team-mates".

"A huge effort went into conducting this match in a safe fashion and it was irresponsible of me to break the protocols which are put in place to protect players, staff and the public," he said.

"I understand that my actions have ultimately contributed to the cancellation of Sunday's match and I am sincerely remorseful for my role in undoing all the amazing work that went into trying to make it happen.

"I promise that I will learn from this mistake and ensure something like this never happens again."

Former England scrum-half Wigglesworth said: "Embarrassed and beyond gutted to have let (coach) Vern Cotter and everyone at Barbarians FC as well as the RFU.

"Should not have happened and for that I am truly sorry. I've let a lot of people down including myself and wish I'd done it differently. Sorry again."

The Barbarians, who announced their 23-man squad on Wednesday, were given a 15:00 BST deadline on Friday to attempt to recruit a team.

Premiership Rugby officials emailed clubs on Thursday to ask if they would release players to play for the invitational side.

However, it has now been deemed unsafe to fulfil the fixture.

Sweeney said: "There has been a great deal of effort put into Covid codes of conduct and planning for games, including cooperation with Premiership clubs to release additional players to fulfil the fixture safely.

"We are all incredibly frustrated and disappointed that the actions of a number of Barbarians players mean we no longer feel it is safe for the game to go ahead."

Barbarian FC expressed their "extreme disappointment" in the conduct of the players who breached regulations.

The build-up to Barbarians games is famous for its focus on socialising and the team management installed a team room in their London base to keep the players entertained.

Rileybobs
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Re: Rugby Union players getting to grips with covid - not

Post by Rileybobs » Fri Oct 23, 2020 4:27 pm

Barbaric behaviour.

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Re: Rugby Union players getting to grips with covid - not

Post by conyoviejo » Fri Oct 23, 2020 4:37 pm

An absolute disgrace to the sport and the other players who stuck to the rules..Should all be banned for a year from playing ,all money stopped and banned from international matches for 5 years.. Would never happen in rugby league ( a proper game played by proper gents)

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Re: Rugby Union players getting to grips with covid - not

Post by jrgbfc » Fri Oct 23, 2020 4:38 pm

Doesn't seem to be the same moral outrage as when Foden and Greenwood broke the rules in Iceland?

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Re: Rugby Union players getting to grips with covid - not

Post by tiger76 » Fri Oct 23, 2020 4:40 pm

It's staggering that 7/8 months into this crisis and sportsmen still don't understand precisely what the "bubble environment" actually means. it's not like there hasn't been plenty of coverage, England's summer cricket season was conducted in a bio-bubble, as were England's internationals, well they were supposed to be anyway, clearly Foden and Greenwood didn't get the memo.

This concept should be familiar to everyone by now, and these aren't callow youths, they're experienced international players, I don't know what hotel they were staying in, but I'd imagine it was a high standard, and had plenty of facilities to keep them entertained, it's incidents like these continuing that could potentially lead to elite sports getting suspended again, and if that happens the players will only have themselves to blame, they are in a privileged position, and yet they don't seem to value that privilege.

aggi
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Re: Rugby Union players getting to grips with covid - not

Post by aggi » Fri Oct 23, 2020 4:44 pm

jrgbfc wrote:
Fri Oct 23, 2020 4:38 pm
Doesn't seem to be the same moral outrage as when Foden and Greenwood broke the rules in Iceland?
I assume because Foden and Greenwood were representing England and these players weren't.

Paul Waine
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Re: Rugby Union players getting to grips with covid - not

Post by Paul Waine » Fri Oct 23, 2020 4:52 pm

jrgbfc wrote:
Fri Oct 23, 2020 4:38 pm
Doesn't seem to be the same moral outrage as when Foden and Greenwood broke the rules in Iceland?
Hmm....??? I know where the England players are training. I guess they won't be too pleased to missing a "run out" at Twickenham that they've been training hard for. I've no idea of the rugby tv situation, but I imagine there are some fees that won't now be paid, maybe even one or two jobs that will need to be cut as a result.

Of course, Barbarian games are friendlies, so I don't think we should expect the same "fuss" as resulted from Foden and Greenwood breaking their rules when they were on international duty and guests of another country.

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Re: Rugby Union players getting to grips with covid - not

Post by CleggHall » Fri Oct 23, 2020 6:16 pm

Boneheads!

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Re: Rugby Union players getting to grips with covid - not

Post by Caballo » Fri Oct 23, 2020 7:36 pm

jrgbfc wrote:
Fri Oct 23, 2020 4:38 pm
Doesn't seem to be the same moral outrage as when Foden and Greenwood broke the rules in Iceland?
Sadly, Rugby Union is a minority sport.

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Re: Rugby Union players getting to grips with covid - not

Post by Boss Hogg » Fri Oct 23, 2020 7:56 pm

Caballo wrote:
Fri Oct 23, 2020 7:36 pm
Sadly, Rugby Union is a minority sport.
It really isn’t. Also how come there’s far less spitting in rugby than football ? I hate seeing this but even more so with Covid.
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Re: Rugby Union players getting to grips with covid - not

Post by rufus lumley » Fri Oct 23, 2020 8:06 pm

They have some strange names Sharks Tiger's Wasps .

Leisure
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Re: Rugby Union players getting to grips with covid - not

Post by Leisure » Fri Oct 23, 2020 8:08 pm

rufus lumley wrote:
Fri Oct 23, 2020 8:06 pm
They have some strange names Sharks Tiger's Wasps .
Tossers would be more appropriate for these players!
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Winstonswhite
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Re: Rugby Union players getting to grips with covid - not

Post by Winstonswhite » Fri Oct 23, 2020 8:15 pm

So some teammates went for a meal out of the hotel. It’s hardly the crime of the century is it? I’m sure they wore their masks before they sat down.

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Re: Rugby Union players getting to grips with covid - not

Post by timshorts » Sat Oct 24, 2020 8:36 am

Boss Hogg wrote:
Fri Oct 23, 2020 7:56 pm
It really isn’t. Also how come there’s far less spitting in rugby than football ? I hate seeing this but even more so with Covid.
It's not so easy to spit when you're wearing a gum shield.

Anyhow, it's difficult to work out why a barbarians game would be a good idea in the current climate. Playing rugby must be a fairly easy route for transmission. Having players from about 12 different teams playing rugby together for a one off friendly match then taking it back to their own clubs is asking for trouble.

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