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?
@Supa Die Bloubul –
Exactly Super.
I have made this comment on scrumming in the thread below.
@Morné –
Offcourse in their case it was premeditated because they bought fake blood before the game.
But lets say n player is getting cramps. Our team really needs to put a kicker on the field, but we cant except for blood. Th coach makes a split decision and asks the doctor to use a sharp object in his kit and cut the players lip. Spirit of the moment. Does that suddenly make it right because it wasnt premedidtated?
@Morné – spyker op die kop meneer dit gaan oor die voory wat spesialiseer en hulle nekke wat die druk kan hanteer wat in n skrum gegenereer word
30@Morné –
Dis hoe ek dit ook verstaan. MAar daar moes iets anders gebeur het. Hoekom sou hulle deur al daai moiete gaan om Evans op die veld te kry as hy anyway nie mag nie? Kyk of jy iets kan uitvind.
31@tight head –
Morning. I will have a look.
STOP DIE LORRIE!!!
I was wrong…
3.12 SUBSTITUTED PLAYERS REJOINING THE MATCH
If a player is substituted, that player must not return and play in
that match even to replace an injured player.
Exception 1: a substituted player may replace a player with a
bleeding or open wound.
Exception 2: a substituted player may replace a front row player
when injured, temporarily suspended or sent off.
@Supa Die Bloubul –
It makes it as right as asking Jannie du Plessis to fake a leg injury to allow captain John back on.
Does that answer your question?
36@Morné –
aaaah thanks, thats what I thought! Read 16.
@Supa Die Bloubul –
Time for me to go study the laws again!!!
Actually I have not looked at the updated laws yet…
@Morné – rassie en die cheetah stutfaktor in 2005 het 4 stutte gebruik en hulle elke 25min of so omgeruil hy het bg reel gebruik om dit te regverdig
@Morné –
Yes thanks. So basically you can fake injuries and cheat, just dont say youve planned it!
Interesting discussion though. But yeah, we know teams wil do whatever they can to get the edge. For some reason I just dont like this faking of injuries thing, but I quess its part of the game. You do what you have to.
I actually feel Dean Richards was done hard by then, he never shouldve planned it and just cut the players lip on the field.
Die joke van alles is toe skop die vark buitendien mis!!
@smallies72 –
Yup, wat Rassie gedoen het was om 2 stutte op die bank te kies.
Die eerste lot stutte (of stut) speel dan kom ons se 30 minute. Hy word ‘permanent’ verander, i.e. geen bloed nie maar taktiese verandering.
Die plaasvervanger stut kom dan op en speel kom ons se tot die 60ste, of 65ste minuut, word beseer (of fake n besering) en word dan vervang met die ou wie hy vervang het in die 30ste minuut.
Die perd het nou lekker 30 minute gerus, is vars, en speel teen ou bene.
39@Morné –
We were all unsure, i thought that when you take a player of as a tactical move, he can not comeback no matter what! (except props) Only when I read this bloodgate thing again I thought there must be a different reason.
@KingPaul –
Justice!
@Supa Die Bloubul –
With all the TV cameras around, it is a massive risk.
His problem is he got caught. he took the risk, it backfired and now he is in kak, but to think it is only he that has done it or does it is stupid!!!
@Supa Die Bloubul –
So we learn every day…
@Morné –
hehehe, clever of cheat? I guess it depends which side you are on!
@smallies72 –
Plumtree hetr dit by die Sharks oor vroeer vanjaar gebruik waar hy vir JS op haker begin, hom net na halftyd afhaal vir BdP en dan hom later weer opbring op voorry. Maar soos Morne sê, en soos menige rugbyspeler jou ook sal sê, jy speel die game/reëls soos wat die ref jou toelaat.
46@Morné –
Ja, thats just plain stupid..carrying blood in you socks, having to bite on it…
Maybe they need to change the rule to allow the 22 players to come and go on the field as they like. It would be interesting to see how the coaches use their players.
@KingPaul – net so my kroon
Baie goeie artikel Supa!
Blood Faking is al jaaaaare deel van die game. Ek was ook al baie betrokke by player swopping. Een voorry speel 50 min. Hy word gesub – en vars voorry kom op vir 30 min. Ander starting voorry speel nog 10 min – fake besering – en ander een kom taamlik uitgerus terug vir laaste 20.
Jip – dis seker cheating, maar dis soos ons voorrye altyd leef in die scrums: It is only cheating if you get caught.
Ek dink dis ‘n baie harde ban op die manne, maar toe hulle die jong outjie probeer omkoop het – het hulle fout gemaak. Ek sou wel 2 keer dink as ek daardie mannetjie was – dis goeie offer – hahahahaha
Maar ja – enige ou wat dink daar is nie chating in enige span nie – is baie na-ief!
@Ex Player –
Ek dink as fans wil mense dit net nie hoor nie…
Personally I don’t have a problem with players and coaches BENDING rules as far as is legally allowed… like Makou hanging offside as much as possible, and getting away with it, to get that half metre advantage or a prop scrumming inwards or dropping a bind and getting away with it.
I have a serious moral issue with faking blood substitutions, and other blatant illegal cheating.
Not only is illegal cheating against the law, it is against the ethos of rugby and sport in general !
Ban the farkers, I say, and ban them long !
@Supa Die Bloubul – Stem saam, solank dit nie ‘n stop/start affair met taktiese tydsverkwisting raak nie. Miskien beperk tot seker aantal veranderings per helfte.
@Ex Player –
Julle moet minder chat en meer rugby speel!! hehehe
Vir my was dit baie erg toe Werner Kruger Saterdag maak asof Wikus Blaauw hom in sy moer skrum! Hy is ‘n regte cheat! 😆
57@KingPaul – Ek wonder of Werner Kruger nie ‘n Rassie kontrak het nie… geen stut kan so kuk skrum teen die kak WP stutte nie…. hehehe
Flok, dit wassie mooi om te sien hoe word Werner gemanupileer en opgefok nie…….. eishhhhhhhhhh.
@KingPaul – 57
😯
🙂
@grootblousmile – Onthou hy het goed gelyk in S14. Amazing wat goeie 2 slotte, agsteman en flank aan ‘n pak kan doen. Was matfield, Bakkies en kie daar, sou werner nie so sleg gelyk het nie, maar ja, it was not a pretty sight.
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