Barbarians 13 banned and heavily fined as RFU stick boot in
The RFU have announced a series of suspensions and heavy fines following an investigation into the 13 Barbarians players who broke coronavirus protocols and forced the cancellation of the October 25 fixture against England. The Barbarians’ meeting with England at Twickenham was cancelled after a number of Barbarians players went out socialising in the week leading up to the game, leading to concerns surrounding the health risk to other players and management in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
Thirteen players were subject to an online hearing after being charged by the RFU, including charges of misleading the subsequent investigation into the incident.
A number of Barbarians players were pictured drinking in a London pub on the Tuesday before the game, while in a separate incident on Wednesday, another group of players broke protocol by visiting two bars and a restaurant, breaking the UK Government’s coronavirus restrictions in doing so.
The RFU’s investigation found that the players involved had behaved “in a way that ignored what the public at large and the Rugby community were complying with”, adding that they were guilty of “deliberately compromising an investigation being carried out by the RFU as swiftly as the circumstances demanded.”
An RFU statement today names the 13 players involved as Alex Lewington, Fergus McFadden, Juan Pablo Socino, Chris Robshaw, Richard Wigglesworth, Jackson Wray, Calum Clark, Sean Maitland, Tim Swinson, Tom de Glanville, Joel Kpoku, Manu Vunipola and Simon Kerrod.
All 13 players have accepted the charges and the independent panel has determined a range of sanctions according to the severity of the breaches.
An RFU statement read: “The total charges across 13 players are 85 weeks of match bans; 44 weeks suspended subject to conditions being met and 41 weeks of bans to be taken concurrently; players have been fined a total of 18.5 weeks salary and given a total of 630 hours of community service.”
Before joining the Barbarians camp all of the players involved had signed a code of conduct which specifically included avoiding bars and public houses, and had been ordered not to leave the team hotel unless they had received special authorisation to do so. The panel was told the players knew they were breaching the code of conduct and had left the hotel via a fire exit in order to “avoid any confrontation.”
In handing out the sanctions, the RFU have separated the offending players into four different groups.
Group one includes Lewington, Robshaw, Wray and Wigglesworth, who were all found to have went out on both the Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. As a result they have been ordered to conduct 50 hours of unpaid rugby community work to be completed before the 19 October 2021. Socino and McFadden, who were also out on both evenings, will conduct 60 hours of unpaid rugby community work.
Calum Clark, Sean Maitland and Tim Swinson were listed in group two as ‘Older and more experienced players who went out only on the Wednesday evening and then gave a false account.’ All three have been fined 1.5 week’s wages, reduced from 3 weeks as a result of their mitigation, along with a four week suspension, three of which will be suspended subject to their future conduct and the completion of unpaid community work.
Kpoku, Vunipola and Tom de Glanville are in group three, ‘Younger players who can be distinguished in terms of the seriousness of their offending because of their age and their position within the group.’ They have been fined one week’ wages and suspended for three weeks, with all three weeks suspended subject to their future conduct and the completion of unpaid community work.
Kerrod is the only player listed in group four, and was found to have “Went out but only on the Tuesday evening; he did not provide a false account.” He has been handed a two-week suspension and fined one week’s wages.
The RFU’s statement can be read here, while a full breakdown of the individual sanctions can be found here.
Comments on RugbyPass
Always reluctant to blame a coach when losses rack up, but Penney must go. The backline is dysfunctional and the coach must carry the can. No cohesion, no idea and in many cases, minimal skill. The trains out of Roma St depart faster than the ball from Crusaders’ set pieces. Wouldn’t be surprised if the forwards went on strike.
1 Go to commentsAdding to earlier comment. Cullen Grace has been playing great at no6. Lio-Willie , who was on fire a few weeks ago, had a bad game. I think Cullen should have been moved to 8 earlier, Dominic Gardiner on earlier. Feel for Quinten Strange , put in a big shift .
4 Go to commentsWe dominated the scrums Ben Curry was all over pitch again .Surely James Harper got to be one of best English tightheads
1 Go to commentsRoos is a better option at 6 than 8 for the boks. Needs to work on his windgat though.
1 Go to commentsThe Sharks’ 2nd team maybe?
1 Go to comments‘radical’
1 Go to commentsCome back to Christchurch Robbie, please!
1 Go to commentsI think there is zero chance Sam Cane will be selected for another Test. There is simply no point except sentimentality. Razor is not sentimental- ask Wyatt Crocket. Razor is a ruthless selector
4 Go to comments> It would be best described as an elegant solution to what was potentially going to be a significant problem for new All Blacks coach Scott Robertson. It is a problem the mad population of New Zealand will have to cope with more and more as All Blacks are able to continue their careers in NZ post RWCs. It will not be a problem for coaches, who are always going to start a campaign with the captain for the next WC in mind. > Cane, despite his warrior spirit, his undoubted commitment to every team he played for and unforgettable heroics against Ireland in last year’s World Cup quarter-final, was never unanimously admired or respected within New Zealand while he was in the role. Neither was McCaw, he was considered far too passive a captain and then out of form until his last world cup where everyone opinions changed, just like they would have if Cane had won the WC. > It was never easy to see where Cane, or even if, he would fit into Robertson’s squad given the new coach will want to be building a new-look team with 2027 in mind. > Cane will win his selections on merit and come the end of the year, he’ll sign off, he hopes, with 100 caps and maybe even, at last, universal public appreciation for what was a special career. No, he won’t. Those returning from Japan have already earned the right to retain their jersey, it’s in their contract. Cane would have been playing against England if he was ready, and found it very hard to keep his place. Perform, and they keep it however. Very easy to see where Cane could have fit, very hard to see how he could have accomplished it choosing this year as his sabbatical instead of 2025, and that’s how it played out (though I assume we now know what when NZR said they were allowing him to move his sabbatical forward and return to NZ next year, they had actually agreed to simply select him for the All Blacks from overseas, without any chance he was going to play in NZ again). With a mammoth season of 15 All Black games they might as well get some value out of his years contract, though even with him being of equal character to Richie, I don’t think they should guarantee him his 100 caps. That’s not what the All Blacks should be about. He absolutely has to play winning football.
4 Go to commentswhat’s happening to Ian Peel?
1 Go to commentsAs a Crusaders fan , so disappointed , again.But I think Fergus Burke was all class for the Crusaders in his first game since October last year. Fletcher Newell , was so good at prop. Johnny McNicoll has been gold since returning from Wales. Noah Hotham brilliant , in a coming of age second season for the Crusaders.Jone Rova did really well at centre. The end of the game was tough.Sevu Reece , what a game/season in tough times.
4 Go to commentsFellas a balloon
3 Go to commentsBlues B team on display and made no race of it. By far the best team in SR with the Hurricanes barely getting past the winning post. Up the Blues 💙
7 Go to commentsWould be amazing to have Servette Genève reaching this level
3 Go to commentsThe Crusaders can't buy a win this season. Surely Penney's contract won't be renewed. There's still enough talent in the squad that they oughta be winning more.
1 Go to commentsABs captain for 23 seasons. Decent record. Surely nobody will surpass it. Legend. But alas a typo…
4 Go to commentsJust FYI Rugbypass, I for one am tired of your clickbait titles and thumbnails and will be clicking them no longer. Good day.
1 Go to commentsI think Farrell despite all of the stick he gets in the media is still one of if not the best fly half in the world. He is literally the full package. He can kick one of the best in the world, probably has the best defensive game of a fly half in the world and if he wants to he can run, take contact and find an offload to keep the pace of the attack. I dont know why he isnt spoken more about still being one of the best in the world with the likes of dupont. Farrell is the ultimate captain and team leader and is experienced- he has been in nearly any situation you can think of. I still believe due to these reasons that he is England’s best ever player and is still one of the best players in the world.
48 Go to commentsBlues are dominating up front and that’s been a long time coming. They have won the up front confrontation which is where canes, hilanders and act brumbies are also strong.
7 Go to commentsJust watched brumbies v safas game sadly not a show in he’ll thryr anywhere near quarters or semi contention. Admittedly some issues around new comers bot what stands out for me is coaching management, poor game planning and accuracy.
5 Go to comments