Schalk Burger got dragged into the “Bloodgate” scandal at Harlequins club this weekend. Harlequins Director of Rugby was slapped with a three-year ban for his involvement in the faking of blood.
Richard’s lawyer Mark Gay argued on Sunday that his punishment was “disproportionate.” He cited the eight-week ban given Burger following an eye-gouging citing in June.
“I think it is excessive in the context,” Gay told BBC Radio 5.
“You have to look at what the offense was. What the player was involved with was feigning injury and, to my mind, feigning injury is less serious than causing injury and Schalk Burger got eight weeks for gouging.
“To my mind, it’s a very savage sanction, disproportionate, and really is one which in all conscience, ERC (European Rjg by Club) should not have imposed,” Gay said.
“He has taken full responsibility for what has happened,” Gay said. “I really do think the committee should have taken account of that.
“Of course the cover up really hurts you more than the offense itself, but even in the context of that it’s a savage ban to impose – a ban which could in all intents and purposes have been a life ban on a person like Dean, who has given his life to the game.”
Some of you may not know the exact details of the scandal as we don’t always follow Northern Hemisphere rugby as we do when our local teams are involved. Below is an article on what happened that day.
Fake Blood Used In Harlequins Rugby
Total Pro Sports – It is amazing how far some will go to help lead their team to victory. While some would be willing to take a few punches in order to change the momentum, others have shown that they have no problem with cheating. Look no further than Boston’s beloved franchises.
In England, the notion of cheating was taken to a whole new level.
It was all part of a plan put together by Harlequins’ director of rugby Dean Richards, and club physio Steph Brennan. Richards ordered Brennan to purchase a pack of blood capsules from a Clapham joke shop. The capsules were to be used by players in order to fake injuries during a Heineken Cup match against Leinster.
The player they used as their subject was Quins full-back Tom Williams, a young but promising player who obliged when asked to commit the act.
Willliams admits that when he was handed the fake blood capsule on the pitch by Brennan he put it in his sock and then pulled it out after a contact situation and tried to bite on it. The capsule fell out of his mouth, forcing him to pick it up and and try the whole process again in full view of the sold-out stadium and television cameras. [ThisIsLondon.co.uk]
When officials of Leinster began yelling that the blood was not real, Williams asked the club doctor Wendy Chapman to cut the inside of his lip with a scalpel.
The pantomime nature of the incident continued in the medical rooms under the stand with Williams and Dr Chapman initially having to avoid the gaze of doubting officials and find a room where they could cut his lip. A picture was taken of the cut which was neatly done and did not require any stitches.
In a hearing on the incident, Williams claimed that he was given a lucrative offer of compensation by club chairman Charles Jillings, and chief executive Mark Evans if he agreed to hide the complete details of the situation by making a “limited” appeal. The offer included compensation for a 12-month ban, a new four-year contract, and an offer of employment with the team following his retirement. This move was made in a effort to prevent the team from receiving a Heineken Cup ban and relegation.
Williams had refused such offers and has come forth with the complete details, which were uncovered during the hearing. He was given a 4-month ban for his involvement in Bloodgate, while Richards has received a 3-year ban, Brennan got a 2-year ban, and the club was fined £259,000.
What may have initially seemed like a good idea for the Harlequins rugby club has turned into a costly one. Next time Harlequins are looking for blood, they should consider just asking their players to bite his tongue during the game, rather than later on at the hearing.
Cheating like this is unacceptable and I am sure we all agree. But what punishment is really fair? Was Schalk lucky to get only 8 weeks? Is a three year ban too much? Do other teams also cheat, with Quins just stupid enough to be caught? Is faking a blood injury to get a kicker on the field different than faking an “injury” to a prop to force uncontested scrums?
What are your thoughts?
@carol – 297
Better be super duper running shoes Carol. Remember those knees.
K9 bad luck met die leeue pel ma ek gaan nie kla oor daai wen nie
Who is the ref for Saturday anyone know?
Het julle al PDV se mening oor die refs bespreek vandag, those arrogant pricks with the whistles
@Puma – Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
@superBul – Nigel Owens (Wales)
South Africa refereeing history:
Date Opponent Result Venue
22 Nov 2008 England Win: 42-6 Twickenham, London
01 Aug 2009 New Zealand Win: 31-19 Kingspark, Durban
@superBul – ek dink dat hulle drie refs moet aanstel vir die tri nations en dat daai drie al die games moet blaas sodat daar konsekwente f@kops is
307@smallies72 – Hehehe… konsekwente fokkops…. dis omtrent so iets.
Rugby se grootste vyand is sy reels, dis te vaag en te veel intrepetasie word toegelaat.
@superBul – 306
Well think he is better than that useless Barnes. So it should be better with the ref this week.
Damn I hope we can win it this week. Only need to win by one nothing more. Play it safe nice and tight. Good Bulls rugby should get us home.
309@superBul – Vaag en verwarrend, ja !
@superBul – 309
Really need to start someone else at 14 too. Odwa not that great in defence. Maybe put Ruan there and let Frans start at FB then.
@Puma – What did Ruan do this year to make him such a big must have in the team? I tell you his and FS careers are farked by all the experiments.
@superBul – 313
Very true, they both have been messed about far too much. Playing in all positions.
Now for this Saturday I would play FS at FB or start in at 14. Odwa is a really good player but we want to win on Saturday. Have to play it like a wc final. Can not lose this Saturday or allow the ABs to get the 5 points. Only way to do that is to play the best who is available over there. Frans is wasted on the bench. Not so sure if Ruan is a really good FB either. Maybe too soon to tell.
314@Puma – Yip, Saturday is Finals Rugby for us, whereas NZ has to go all out for a 5-pointer.
If our defense is solid, we’ll frustrate the hell out of them.
@grootblousmile – 315
That is key our defence. Thats why I have been going on about Odwa on the wing. Need someone more like JPP there. Big oke. Steyn should play there. We must start our best on Sat. This is like a final for us. WE have come so far not to lose it now. Damn I will be angry if we mess it up.
316@Puma – We need parity in the scrums… badly
We need to be demons on the ground ball
We need to take more than our share of line-out ball
… and every player needs to defend, in unison, like never before !
Make no mistake, we have the players to do it….. the plan must just come together on Saturday.
@grootblousmile – 317
Brussow had better be at his best on Saturday.
Not too worried about our line-out its the best in the world. We will be fine there but need to take some of theirs. Our defence must be first time tackles no scrubble stuff.
Yes we have the players they need to want this and that will keep them from getting tired. Must keep the ball in their half as much as possible put the pressure on them. It was mostly in our half on Saturday and that put a lot of pressure onto us.
We can do it and pleased that Habs is fit to play. We really cant afford to lose him now that we already lost JPP. Habs is a great defender and in the kick-and-chase he is superb.
@Puma – meant scramble not srubble. Mind going to sleep here 😆
318@Puma – Yip, Ozzie camped in our 22 on Saturday past… fark !
@grootblousmile – 320
For most of the game. We need to correct that this week. Otherwise too much pressure and like Victor said too much defending took its toll on the body. Making the Boks very tired.
Play Bulls rugby man, we will win if we do.
About time the Burger incident was surfaced again. Why don’t they suspend him for a year this time? heh, heh 🙂
@superBul – daai is die waarheid
@Morné – 6 Ah, ha, so you admit it. We claim a forfeit & thus win the series, heh, heh 🙂
@smallies72 – 323
wat praat jy van
Just listened to Balie Swart on Superrugby , hell no wonder the Bulls struggle in the scrums, who the hell can understand what he is trying to say.
@JimT – 322
How you Jim? Hope well. Just hope that Brussow is at his very best on Saturday.
Don’t think Burger will do that again. Not really sure if it was intentional that time.
@superBul – die feit dat ‘n gerond donner fs en rp se loopbane op gefoeter het
cheers manne ek gaan nou doedoe
@Morné – 36 But the injury was faked in Durban 🙁
@smallies72 – doedoe huh? Where you live smallies? Os?
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