Dean Richards

[chopper15]

. . . the pity is the focus is back on the bloody farce rather than the tragedy.

 

[SimonSmith]

What's the tragedy? The 5 year ban? Or the fact that a player lost his eye? Let's not lose sight of what happened here

 

[didds]

Or the fact that a player lost his eye? Let's not lose sight of what happened here

I see what you did there Simon... (as it were)

didds

 

[didds]

they faked a blood injury... it must happen 100 times every saturday?

does it? really? 100 times ... every saturday?

I doubt that. Though I have no stats or source for it.

yes, it was stupid, but to say that it justifies deny someone his means of earning a living for three years was harsh.

.

Dunno about that. A great deal of people seemed to think it was quite OK for the doctor involved to lose her means of a living for the rest of her life, and she was peripheral to the issue (without meaning to reduce her part in it or resurrect a well worn thread already). DR knew exactly what he was doing, and what the implications were of his decision.

What about the gougers, biters, high -tacklers etc? they get bans of just weeks.

well, that is the fault of the system. I agree with you.

(it's not like the old amateur days when people were banned from a leisure-time pursuit)

My point was to illustrate that if writing a book bought a lifetime ban from the game, how does that square with *cough* reading a report whilst already banned?

If as an amateur I was to banned for three years, would it thus be OK for me to *cough* read a report for a rugby club as its not my income that is at stake only my personal pride?

didds

 

[chopper15]

What's the tragedy? The 5 year ban? Or the fact that a player lost his eye? Let's not lose sight of what happened here

Unfortunately the media focus, and again this site, is back on the bloody farce . . the loss of an eye is the genuine tragedy and needs media attention for goodness sake.

 

[dave_clark]

What's the tragedy? The 5 year ban? Or the fact that a player lost his eye? Let's not lose sight of what happened here

eye concur

 

[bignij]

does it? really? 100 times ... every saturday?

I doubt that. Though I have no stats or source for it.

My first post, so be gentle.
At the backwaters that I operate in, I generally have one or two 'fake' blood injuries per week, often at my instigation. If a player gets a bit of a knock etc, I'll let them treat it as a blood to see if the player makes a recovery. I always ask the opposition first. I've never had a refusal.

On a seperate issue what are the consultancy rates. I could've saved Worcester a fortune. You operate at the lower reaches because you and your players aren't as good as the others and don't accumulate as many points. I take cheques, cash, all major credit cards. Thank you.

 

[chopper15]

In today’s Independent;

A year after 'Bloodgate', has Richards found a way to get back into the game?

English rugby's disciplinary classes may have made their peace with Brendan Venter – while the Saracens boss had two almighty run-ins with officialdom last season, relations are now said to be extremely cosy – but as the equally controversial figure of Dean Richards is looming large on the horizon, this is far from the end of their troubles. Richards, kicked out of the sport for three years after belatedly admitting to his starring role in the fake blood scandal at Harlequins, is currently in discussions with senior figures about taking tentative steps back into the game he disgraced.


http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...-a-way-to-get-back-into-the-game-2075260.html

 

[Dixie]

My first post, so be gentle.

Welcome to the forums, BigNij. Why don't you tell us a bit about yourself - days/months/years of experience, standard of game reffed etc. You seem to have judged the level of banter just about right! Nice to have you aboard.

Incidentally, if that's a Netherlands refereeing society, do we think of you as Big Nige, or Big Neigh?

 

[SimonSmith]

Guess NottsLincsandDerbyshire - does that union still exist?

 

[bignij]

Welcome to the forums, BigNij. Why don't you tell us a bit about yourself - days/months/years of experience, standard of game reffed etc. You seem to have judged the level of banter just about right! Nice to have you aboard.

Incidentally, if that's a Netherlands refereeing society, do we think of you as Big Nige, or Big Neigh?

I can't find an Intro section of the forum so I'll do it here if that's ok.
I'm 47 yeras old. I played rugby at a junior club until 2007, when a serious spinal injury forced me to retire. I wanted to play 'til my legs dropped, and then one Saturday they very nearly did. I coached my local team for a year and won a 2nd team trophy with them but I was bored watching, I wanted to be out in the middle still. So I decided to take up refereeing, I'd been doing it unofficially for 30 years. How hard could it be?
I went on the ELRA course in the summer of 2008 and started refereeing in the autumn. I made good progress up to level 8 when I damaged my achilles. I never let it recover properly so I didn't have good pre season last year, my fitness suffered, and I was back at level 10. However this pre season has been good and I hope to attain a higher level again.
Simon is right it is the Notts, Lincs and Derbys Union, not a Dutch one.
Away from rugby, I was an Electrical Engineer in a Coal Mine for 30 years until the very same injury forced a change in jobs. I know work for Severn Trent as a Maintenance Manager.
You can all wake up now.

 

[chopper15]

In today's DT;

. . . . there are no plans to outlaw the hand-off despite a five-year suspension handed out to Whitehaven flanker Callum Jennings in July for an alarming incident that resulted in the blinding of an Aspatria player. Jennings protested his innocence, claiming he was handing-off his would-be tackler.


. . . so here endeth the lesson.:sad:

 

[Darren Evans]

I would like to put things into perspective here regarding Deano.....Since the time the "Blood replacement" has been allowed by previously substituted players, this has happened. Not only at top level but also at grass roots. It just so happens that on this occasion it was caught on camera. Dean Richards is an extremely valuable asset to English rugby and needs to have input at the highest level to allow the continuity of development of Young guns. I'm sure he willbe a breath of Fresh air at the Warriors and no doubt willbe instrumental in their promotion back to top line rugby.

 

[Dickie E]

"It may be shit to you but its bread & butter for us"

 

[chopper15]

I would like to put things into perspective here regarding Deano.....Since the time the "Blood replacement" has been allowed by previously substituted players, this has happened. Not only at top level but also at grass roots. It just so happens that on this occasion it was caught on camera. Dean Richards is an extremely valuable asset to English rugby and needs to have input at the highest level to allow the continuity of development of Young guns. I'm sure he willbe a breath of Fresh air at the Warriors and no doubt willbe instrumental in their promotion back to top line rugby.

The only 'decent' thing about this incident - and it was done at DR's behest on several occasions - they did go to the trouble of using fake blood, unlike the admission in the Kiwi camp of using a reserve sponge with real blood . . and t'hell to HIV pos.:sad:

 

[OB..]

I would like to put things into perspective here regarding Deano.....Since the time the "Blood replacement" has been allowed by previously substituted players, this has happened. Not only at top level but also at grass roots. It just so happens that on this occasion it was caught on camera. Dean Richards is an extremely valuable asset to English rugby and needs to have input at the highest level to allow the continuity of development of Young guns. I'm sure he willbe a breath of Fresh air at the Warriors and no doubt willbe instrumental in their promotion back to top line rugby.

I'm afraid I don't share your perspective. I don't see why being "an extremely valuable asset" is a plea in mitigation.

It was clearly premeditated, because a rugby club doesn't buy fake blood just for fun. However it was very badly carried out, which is why they got caught. Then they tried to cover it up, compounding the offence.

I have no idea if they had got away with something similar before, nor if other clubs had done it, but with luck this case will have stopped it.

 

[L'irlandais]

...I have no idea if they had got away with something similar before, ...

Former Harlequins physiotherapist Steph Brennan says they did :

Brennan admitted to five instances - including Bloodgate - of faking blood injuries, the first of which occurred during Harlequins' season in the second tier of English rugby in 2005-06. On three occasions this was for player welfare, while Brennan said the fourth was to get an unnamed player in a key position on to the pitch following a sin-binning of a team-mate.
Brennan also revealed that he used a presentation at an end-of-season management meeting in 2008 - almost a year before Bloodgate - to state that the physiotherapy department were uncomfortable faking blood injuries.

Source

 

[OB..]

Thanks, L'irlandais. Worse than I thought.

 

[Ian_Cook]

OK, so I haven't read through this whole 50+ posts, but to me this seems like Mr. Kelso is sensationalising a non-event as well as being deliberately economical with some facts.

It is highly debatable whether Richards could be rightly accused of "working in rugby. Surely, Richards is working for the consultant, not for Worcester rugby.

If I have a customer (Mr. Bloggs) who asks me for advice regarding image he wants printed on canvas and stretched over a frame. and I consult Fred Smith's Canvas Printing Ltd about the printing part, Mr Smith isn't working for Mr. Bloggs, he is working for me.

 

[OB..]

Ian - I think that is the whole point. It is seen as a technicality that (probably) gets round what was intended.