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?
@SA Barbarians – 236
😆 Could be….hahaha that was funny boet a ‘amphibious perdator’ hahaha. Had a good laugh there.
@Puma – 241 – meant predator
@superBul – 240
Super, ek voel vir JS, die ou moet kuk voel oor hy so sukkel. Jammer want hy’s ‘n skitterende kaptein en ambassadeur
@Puma –
Our rotweiler use to jump over the six feet wall often. He and the neighbours dog would jump up at the same time and our rotweiler would pull the neighbours dog over the wall. Our one rotweiler, Stoffel, killed two dogs. Then my dad put up 8 feet walls.
@Puma – 241
heehhe I’ve been waiting to catch you here to use that one
238@Puma – Jeeeeeeeeeez, a massive Rotti like that storming you with one intent is scary…. and they are farking huge dogs….
Puma, I promise you, that dog easily cleared that 6 foot wall… no problem….. without even touching the wall.
@PapnVis – After the 2nd CC you guys stayed together to take another and share one but then the SHARKS decided if they cant win it they will buy the Cheetah team and hope the CC comes with. Eventually they got him last year.
@superBul – 241
Naand super. Not sure if John should be playing TH. Still need him as captain though.
Read that Victor said they all felt so tired from the humidity there and defending all the time. He said it felt like playing in Durbs.
Just think Oz caught us sleeping. Actually played us at our own game and we were caught far too much in our own half.
Now we will be under huge pressure in Hamilton. Not easy to win in NZ. It will be cooler but we need to play smart there. Keep it tight and maybe play real Bulls style rugby. Jeez, really hope we can pull it off this weekend. Even if we get a bonus point if we lose, it will be just too hard for ABs to win by 5 points against us and Oz.
@Supa Die Bloubul – 244
My Staffie cannot clear a 4 foot wall – he tears it down, the lazy bastard. Especially when he spots a cat walking on the wall – beeeg shyte!
@grootblousmile – 246
GBS, I would have beaten that dog to clearing the wall, no shit. 🙂
@SA Barbarians –
😆 😆 Dogs can be a handful!
@grootblousmile – 246
Crikey boeta that would have almost killed me with a heart attack if I saw it come over my wall..lol. Those dogs are massive. Just to look at them they scare the hell out of me. Had one chase me once when I used to run. Even then thought I was going to die of fear. Mangaged to jump over a fench myself to get away from it. It never came over the wall that time. Would have dropped dead from a heart attack then…..hahaha and I was young then.
250@SA Barbarians – Ons grap nou, maar ek het een kans gehad… vir een hou…
Guys I have to go. An old golf mate of mine is in hospital for a knee replacement and I better go and give him a peptalk, poor bugger.
Spot you later
Ek sien Morgan Newman is uit vir 6 maande.
@Supa Die Bloubul – 251
Not mine they are little pugs…hehehe. Wants to be every persons friend.
Have had this breed now for about 22 years now. These two are my last though. No more animals after they pass on one day. Great little guys. Like a big dog in a little body.
254@SA Barbarians – Cheers
@SA Barbarians – 254
Let me know how he goes with that replacement. I am needing one maybe in a year or two.
@grootblousmile –
Ek sou my van my kroontjie tot my hakke beskyt het as so ‘n hond my storm 🙂
@Puma –
I have two sausage dogs now which are great. They are so loyal. Go wherever I go. When I walk into the dam they follow me and they can barely hold their own as they are not use to swimming! Dogs are great, Im not a cat fan though…
@Puma – 258
Will do
Same here
4. XhosasKid :
September 7th, 2009 at 6:24 pm
Morgan Newman is better than Danie Gerber. Big blow for WP & Boks … he would’ve replaced JDV & also be vice captian and future Bok captain once JS retires
@Puma – 248
Why we tried to play the Aussies at their own game i dont know, with so many rookies in their team those up and under bombs with the noise of Habana and Bakkies coming at full tilt, i would bet my bottom dollar we would have scored a try or 2.
@SA Barbarians – 261
So we in the same boat. Cheers SAB let us know how he gets over that op.
@Loosehead – Het jou geantwoord
@Supa Die Bloubul – Daai is n variasie van xhosakid, kyk daai eksta s iemand mors met die ou.
@superBul – 263
YES agree super, I too have been saying all the time why did we not just play Bulls rugby. Its very, very hard to beat a team that play like that.(Sharsk know how hard it is to play against that style of rugby..lol) We would have won if we played it like that. I have no idea why we never.
Now we leave it for the last game when we always struggle in NZ. Going to be very tough. Will be very upset if we don’t win the TNations. We should have won it already.
@Puma – meant Sharks.
@superBul –
Ek sien. Of hy was geban en het met amper dieselde nic registreer. Maar nou is Morgan sommer beter as Danie Gerber en JDV.
Ons gaan ons gatte sien Saterdag….. sonder ‘n spieëltjie…
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