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?
@Ex Player –
The natural mechanics of a scrum are such that the tight head scrums in order to keep the loose head down and the loose head scrums in order to move the tight head up.
This does not take away from the fact that they are both attempting to go forward.
The tight heads tactics do not mean that he has to hit in high or be a tall player, both of which are bad for scrumming.
Most reset scrums are a result of the players trying to get vertical ascendancy on the hit, which is vital for both players.
@Ex Player –
Niks het seerder gemaak as Pro wat so graag wil skrum nie! Wonder hoeveel skrums was in daai game, moet n rekord wees. Dalk het dit net baie lank gevoel! 😉
@Supa Die Bloubul –
Daar is ‘n verskil tussen windgat wees en trots te wees op jou span se vertoonings.
@tight head –
Dont let Ex player intimidate you. He played one game on the bench for Boland 0/15 B when three props were down with swineflu. 😆
123@KingPaul –
Ja daar is. Jammer jy ken dit nie! hehe
@Supa Die Bloubul – Daardie reff was regtig useless! Ek het nie op die TV gesien nie – maar langs die veld het dit taamlik gelyk asof hy geen voordeel toelaat nie!
@Supa Die Bloubul –
So he is Dale Sandton!!!
@Supa Die Bloubul – @122
En niks was so lekker om Derick Kuun se gesig te sien elke keer as Pro ‘n skrum wys nie! Hy het later gelyk of hy wil huil!
Ex player
Francois Louw het darem self ontpop in ‘n goeie 6flank!
Ek wonder wat gaan AC doen as Scalla terug is?
@Supa Die Bloubul – Hahahaahaha – Jip – my CV looks real bad!
126@Ex Player –
#$%^# presies! Dankie! Daar se n WP ou dit ook…die ou met die bal raaks skaars die grond dan blaas Pro die fluitjie en dui n skrum aan!! Kirchner het eenkeer minder as twee sekondes die grond geraak, die bal geplaas en was reg onder Adams se voete om te speel, dan blaas Pro en se, scrumtime! Ek word sommer van voor af die hel in.
127@tight head –
Dale Sandton is better looking.
128@KingPaul –
Ja, jy verkies eerder Luke se gesig. Jyt ook gou in n Luke lover ontaard ne? Jy spyt hy waai binnekort? 😯
129@Ex Player –
CV’s vertel anyway nooit die ware verhaal nie…
130 @Supa Die Bloubul – ek het gehoor Pro en Luke is huisvriende, so nou weet ons.
Ek krap sommer julle twee WP outjies se balle hoor. WP het verdien om te wen en daai voorry het ons lelik verwoes. Ek is egter ernstig oor Pro. Hy blaas hondkuk, albei kante toe!
134@bdb –
Ja, ek het ook gehoor hy is pro Luke!
@Supa Die Bloubul – Supa – is daar actually mense wat verskil!!! Daardie ou was useless – en ek kan daardie spesifieke insident onthou.
Daar is net 2 soorte refs: ‘n Skelm een, en ‘n k@k een – en hy is erg k@k!
@Supa Die Bloubul –
Wel, ek weet watter een van Luke en Derick is die beter kaptein!! En as ek regtag moet kies support ek eerder ‘n span met Luke in as ‘n span met ‘n moangat soos Derick in!
Maar ek sal like om hul albei saam te vat om te gaan tuna vang!! Snaakse dinge gebeur daar in die diepsee…. 😆
Terug by Werner Kruger. Ek dink daar moet net aan sy tegniek gewerk word, met ‘n goeie skrumtegnikus, of hoe ?
As Brock en Blaauw dit kon regkry om na 2 jaar se skrumwerk uiteindelik hul koppe uit hul poepholle te kry, dan sal ou Werries dit seker ook een van die dae begin regkry ?
Hy gaan nou deur ‘n taai leerskool, so moet hom nie weggooi as hy amper daardeur is nie, want dan moet ons weer van vooraf begin met ‘n ander jong stut.
Wat die Bulle dus nodig het, is ‘n ervare vaskop om hom te help. Kry vir BJ of CJ.
Wat sê die kenners ?
134@bdb –
Ja lees 138. Luke, Pro en Kingpaul braai graag saam! hehe
137@Ex Player –
Kyk normaalweg sou ek dit dalk kon hanteer, maar elke skrum was soos n strafskop vir WP!
@Ex Player – @137
Oom Scahlk sê altyd jy moet die ref se broek dophou. As hy so ‘n stywe broekie aanhet, is hy skelm en kak!!
Hoe meer ek nou daaraan dink, hoe meer wil dit vir my voorkom of ek gesuip op die pawiljoen aangekom het! Die ref was glad nie so kak in my oe nie!! hehehehehe
136 @Supa Die Bloubul – en glo pro WP en pro ANC. hmmm …
138@KingPaul –
Nou praat jy kuk. Altwee is kuk kapteine, maar Derick kots darem nie op sy Bok trui nie!
@Supa Die Bloubul –
Al wat ek van pro afweet is daai lekker barndewyn wat ek na die game geproe het…
139@bdb –
Ek stem met BJ of CJ. Werner gaan beter doen as Bakkies en Matfield agter hom is en net so gaan Brock en Wikus weer slegter doen as Fondse/Bekker agter hulle is. MAar Werner gaan nie skielik opponente domineer nie. Ek kan dit regtig nie sien gebeur nie.
140 @Supa Die Bloubul – die sameswering raak net erger …
143@bdb –
en pro Mugabe en Malema!
147@bdb –
Ja hulle drink al brannewyn ook saam glo…eish! Snaaks hoe die WP ouens se gesindheid teenoor Luke verander het…
@Supa Die Bloubul –
Moenie worry nie, ek tel al die slapies af tot hy fcoff!!
Laasnaweek wou my klong weet wat eet haaie, toe sê ek hom haaie se gunsteling kos is Luke Watsons!!
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