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?
@Morné –
I know what you are saying and I know there is no line. Otherwise we wouldnt have argued for 84 posts over this.
Of jy n iets lank voor die tyd beplan of kort voor die tyd beplan is vir my dieselfde. As jy n dag voor die wedstryd valse bloed koop om te gebruik en of jy 20min in die game besluit ek gaan n besering vervals, is vir my dieselfde. Altwee was beplan, die een net vroegtydig beplan.
Omdat daar geen “lyn” is nie, laat ek my die common sense maar besluit. Vir my is dit baie erger om n ou se lip oop te sny en n besering te fake as om bv. nie gebind te bly by die skrum nie. Albei is teen die reels. Maar dis net ek. Ons kan argumenteer tot ons blou is en albei kante het meriete. Maar daar is nie n lyn nie.
@Supa Die Bloubul –
See my posts following that.
Boys we can never allow a prop tp support himself with his hand on the ground when he scrums.
When a loose head does this he gains an immediate unfair advantage over the tight head, because the tight head cannot put any downward pressure on him and therefore get the loose head where he wants him in the contest.
When a tight head puts his hand on the ground he is removing one of his main weapons from the battle, namely his right arm, and is committing scrumming suicide.
@tight head – You probally mean sideway pressure? The tighthead wants to hit the loosehead on the left shoulder – sideways?
Anyway – if the loosehead put his hand on the ground, he is opening the gap between the hookers shoulder, and his own. This will cause the lock to come through, and will disrupt the stability of the scrum.
Hier word vandag te veel ‘sense’ gepraat op die blog.
Waar is KP en SAB as jy hulle nodig het.
Hulle is altyd vol allerlei snaakse sê goed, soos nou die dag toe hul gesê het: die CB kom Kaap toe …
@Ex Player –
The tight head needs to get downward pressure onto the loose head very quickly on and after the hit.
The prop putting his hand on the ground should have no effect on his bind with his hooker, if they are binding correctly and hitting in at the correct level.
@Morné –
Yeah. The “line” we look for shows in the punishment. Tackling someone in the air and faking blood is against the law and wrong. One is much more serious and the ban will be longer.
Now, how long the punishment should be for each transgression, would take another few days to discuss! 😆
@bdb –
hahaha
Jy weet dan!!
Ek sit met ‘n moeilike ou probleempie die naweek. Support ek die Bulls of Sharks? Wen die Sharks, kan die WP dalk sukkel om ‘n “top of the log” possisie te kry aan die einde van die tweede rondte, en ons het dit nodig met al die Bokke wat terugkom vir die ander spanne. Maar, wen die Sharks, is dit dalk neusie verby vir die Bulls met die Cheetahs en Lions wat ook begin saamspeel het.
Maar nou ja, miskien nie vanjaar nie, maar die CC kom beslis een van die dae huistoe…
@KingPaul –
Doen wat ek doen.
Ek worrie nie ‘n moer wie wen nie solank hulle mekaar goed opdonner in die game!
@tight head – Surely the hand on the ground will create a gap. If your one shoulder gets droped, you will loose your bind on the hooker – because your bodyweight shift to your left sholder.
And the best way to hit into the scrum, is surely to hit the loosehead ‘out’.
Downward pressure will result in most reset scrums. And you must be one hell of a tall fella to create downward pressure.
But anyway – downward pressure mean that you must hit higher than the loosehead – which mean you loose the hit – and open yourself up for a long afternoon – since the loosehead will have a fieldday with your chest!
@Morné –
hahahaha
Dit werk vir my ook!
98 @KingPaul – ja, ek het gewonder oor daardie een: julle is in ‘n dilemma oor wie om te ondersteun tussen Bulle en Sharks.
Maar, ons het dieselfde ou probleempie: wen die WP, dan sal ons hul nie meer kan inhaal vir ‘n semi plek nie. Wen die Ctahs, en ons verloor teen die Sharks, dan kan dit ons dalk later ‘n plek onder die semi’s kos.
Taai naweek wat vir die spanne voorlê, en, natuurlik vir die Bokke ook.
ek bedoel ‘n ‘tuissemi’ plek nie …
@bdb –
Die Bokke se moer! Hulle MOET wen!! Ononderhandelbaar! Ek wonder of Snorre aan die span gaan verander? Ek sal beslis vir Adi Jacobs ‘n blaaskans gee. Hy lyk bietjie jetlag!
@bdb –
Nee wat. Laat die Cheetahs wen. Eerstens is dit lekker om Luke Watson the sien verloor en tweedens kan die Cheetahs maar verbygaan. Met die Bokke terug sal ons hulle op Loftus klop en weer bo hulle wees. As die WP verloor die naweek is daar nog n kans dat ons hulle ook kan vang as ons wen die naweek. Hulle kan maklik vasval teen die Leeus op Ellis Park. So ek hoop die cheetahs wen!
@KingPaul –
Wat de hel het hy probeer doen met daai gooi op sy doellyn??! Flippen malligheid. Ons het te veel in ons eie gebied probeer hardloop die naweek. Dit lyk asof hulle n punt wou bewys dat ons kan die bal rondgooi. Toe na halftyd probeer hulle vir so 15 min die skoptaktiek weer en toe moet ons skielik weer catch up rugby speel.
@Supa Die Bloubul – Hey – die WP moet eers verby Boland kom – hahahaha
@Supa Die Bloubul –
hehehe
Jy nog steeds moerig oor Luke die wendrie gedruk het laas Saterdag?
Die game teen die Cheetahs gaan tight wees, maar ek dink ons gaan hom vat.
104@KingPaul – Ek sal vir WO op vleuel speel in Adi/Ndgane se plek, want hy kan ten minste verdedig. Dit gaan nodig wees saterdag, goeie verdedigers.
105 @Supa Die Bloubul – ja, ek kan nie wag dat al hierdie opwarmingswedstryde nou kan klaar kry, en die CB oor twee weke begin nie. 🙂
@Supa Die Bloubul –
Ek praat nou asof ek dit gesien het! Gelukkig was my krag af Saterdag. Het die volksliedere in die Dros gekyk, en toe die res van die game by die huis op die radio gaan luister. Het net die highlights gesien. JdV het ‘n paar keer mooi gebreek, en ons het gekak innie skrums. Daai laaste drie van die Ozzies het ook baie suspiseus gelyk..
@bdb –
Of vir Frans Steyn op vleuel?
107@Ex Player –
Hoop Boland verwoes hulle!!!
108@KingPaul –
Ons almal raak nie opgewonde soos jy elke keer as Luke die bal dra nie!
@Supa Die Bloubul – Hahahaha – Supe – jy skeur my in 2 hier – maar ek dink dis veilig om te sê Boland kan nie meer speel vir ‘n tuis semi nie – hehehe – so ek sal maar glad nie cheer daardie game nie.
110@bdb –
Ja, party ouens wat baie windgat was gaan dan dalk lang trane huil! 😆
@Supa Die Bloubul – Hahahaha – hoorie – daardie een moes nogals sout in die wonde gewees het – soos daardie laaste skrum wat geswaai is!
111@KingPaul –
JDV was ons beste speler. Die res was maar almal so-so. Ja, ons het amper so erg slae gekry in die skrums as die Bulle!
112@KingPaul –
Stem, eerder Frans as Wynand.
115@Ex Player –
Nee man Ex player. WP se moer! Skree vir die Boland! WP het vir Luke man…
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