Bringing the game into disrepute...

Mike Whittaker


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Am I alone in thinking that for a captain of an international sports team, the finding of 'bringing the game into disrepute' is a far greater concern than that of being penalised some runs for a playing offence?

Under what circumstances, if any, would a rugby captain not lead his team out for the second half?
 

Simon Griffiths


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I don't think that you're alone at all. Petulant is probably the best way to put it (in a positive spin kind of way). What I thought hilarious though was the PCB saying that Darrell Hair should have been charged too (bit like arresting a policeman for arresting a suspected criminal!).

Personally I don't think that a captain in rugby (well, certainly not at the top end of the game) would be stupid enough to do that. I'm not sure any others would either - perhaps if the oposition had sharpened studs and the ref refused to do anything about it? We had one (junior) team around here that was pulled off by their coach because one of their players was sent off (pathetic springs to mind though).
 

Padster


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A friend of mine pulled his team (junior) from a match because he perceived them to be in physical danger due to the refereeing. He got punished and fully understood that he had to be but he felt his duty of care to the kids was paramount. He was one of the hardest (and sometimes not the cleanest) front row players I have ever known.
On a personal note I think Darrel Hair has been very harshly and unfairly castigated for doing what he saw as the right thing.
 

ex-lucy


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as a u15 coach i refused to let my players play the second half of a match for safety reasons.
I didnt want to play the match but we had a squad who travelled 40 miles and wanted a game.
there were no post protectors, no medical cover, no first aid bag, the ref was wearing jeans, the opposition had more than a few non-u15s (as in u16s/u17s etc).
Just before half time the score was 35 nil to the oppo, when we got a fairly serious injury, the ref refused to stop the match until the ball went dead.
At that point my capt came over to me and asked me to stop the match.
This was 11 years ago and these days with CP, safety is the first thing coaches and refs look at.
Rugby has moved on ... but in similar circumstances i could foresee me doing the same.

As regards, Hair and Inzaman etc ... i am quite upset about how the ICC have treated the whole affair and Hair and their own laws/ rules.
And as for Simon Hughes comments in the DT ... the ball was only a little striated so it doesnt matter. It's a bit like speeding at 72mph, who cares?
Excuse me?
We have laws or we dont. We obide by them or we dont.
Simon obviously doesnt have teanage kids bec you have to stick to rules/ laws, o/wise people push and push the boundaries and take the p1ss e.g. the perception is that 72mph is ok now, so let's go 75mph .. you have to draw the line and stick to it.
Sign of today's society? a lack of respect of law and order and authority?
 

didds

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see Mike Atherton's column in yesterdays telegraph.

The ICC basically have failed their own "mission statement"

didds
 

Brian Ravenhill


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Sadly, last week, my local club refused to take the pitch after half time. Their concern was the safety of the players, due to work commitments and a wedding they had to draft in a number of youngsters. The opposition are a notorious roughhouse lot from a tough Gloucester neighbourhood. During the first half several players had received injuries as a result of foul play. Fearing for the safety of his younger players and with the reluctant support of other senior players he refused to take the field for the second half.
 

Mike Whittaker


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Brian, any repercussions? What action if any did ref take?

Can't say I disagree with captain not playing on. Safety has to be first...
 

Simon Thomas


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Brian

Brave action by the skipper, but if matters were that bad for him to make such a decision then he was almost certainly justified.

Hopefully a full inquiry will be held by the County Disciplinary Committee
 
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