Wasps get off after enquiry

[bluntiger]

Every team can hide behind rules and laws and take their legal representatives with them to games when it may not suit them to play.

But what can't be forgotten is that many fans travelled hours, took time off work, paid hotel bills etc. only for one team to cynically disregard those fans' loyalty and support (including many Wasps fans!) and refuse to play.

I don't believe anyone in the rugby community really believed that Wasps refused to play to protect their players' safety. Sure, they have stood behind that as their excuse as they repeatedly stood behind the injured props as the reason for having to go to uncontested scrums when their scrum was under pressure.

I still remember the HC final against us when it went to uncontested scrums yet when interviewed afterwards Phil Vickery said he was not injured but was 'just a little tired'!

Any yet wasn't Dallaglio on the group to get some honesty into the game following bloodgate? And isn't he a director of Wasps?

Any team can now refuse to play if 1. a ground is too soft or 2. a ground is too hard or 3. the line markings are muddled (football markings) or 4. the post cussions are not thick enough or 5. it is raining or 6. the lighting is inconsistent 7. the changing room floor is too slippery or 8. they have not salted the paths etc. etc.

And whenever there is this kind of extreme bending of the laws ..... it is always Wasps. It says measures about their lack of real integrity!

There are many examples but who remembers Bath vs Toulouse last season in the HC? If that was playable, Edgley park was more than playable!

[wardy]

Sorry, I'm with Luke on this one. After spending the last 41 years as a senior legal adviser in magistrates' courts I have had my fill of clever advocates finding loop-holes in rules and regulations (eg Nick Freeman, "Mr. Loop-hole").

I am no fan of Wasps or their behaviour on this occasion but the fault is with those who drafted the regulations in the first place. The situation is going to be absolutely farcical unless the regs are changed.....and quickly. Premier Rugby ought to be offering compensation to both sets of fans. Some how, I don't think so. Those who can ill afford to loose out and are the bread and butter of the sport are the ones who will suffer.

[wardy]

This may put the cat among the pigeons. The Times reports that none other than Peter Wheeler was a member of the three man panel!! I wouldn't mind being a fly on the wall when Cockers meets his chief executive.

[Kinoulton]

This ruling is stupid.

Supposing a team (club or national) walked out of a packed Twickenham, or Millenium?

Suppose a team objected to so many pitches that they couldn't possibly fulfill their fixtures before then end of the season?

[TTRITH]

So Wasps get away with it.
Will the PRL look at the rule? No
Will Wasps do the same thing again? Probably
If it was anyone else would Wasps take it laying down? Definately not

Rugby's doing my head in at the moment! Rules are so unclear on parts and the IRB cannot be bothered to change it!

For crying out loud, stop messing with the rules that are fine, start messing with the ones that are unclear or you've messed up already!

[johnh]

When was the last time anyone came across a wasp on a cold wet afternoon in October (unless it was a dead one)? Joking aside, I'm with wardy on this one as much at it irks me to say so. To call Wasps "cheats" is a bit strong as their desicion not to play did not affect the outcome of the match (they could have won). At worst it's a cynical manipulation of the rules (such as they are, or not as the case may be) although I believe their use of uncontested scrums is a different matter.
However, it does seem rather absurd to claim that the conditions at Sale were unsafe to play in. It's rugby, it's a tough game played by hard men in winter when it rains and if the management at Wasps are concerned about players getting injured maybe they should play in Michelin man suits and wear pink hi-vis clothing.

[salcombe bob]

I will be writing to Sale today to offer to assist in funding an Appeal if it is thought a logical response.

[Kinoulton]

Rugby should take a look at how racing is handled by the Jockey Club.

Not a perfect organisation, but one with teeth, with b******s, and with decision making authority.

Supposing a jockey drops his hands and fails to ride his mount as hard as possible right through to the finishing line. He can claim that he felt that his horse was tired, and therefore that he was within the rules not to ride it out.

However, the Jockey Club are not stupid. They will often say: "Sorry, we just don't believe you." And hand out a severe ban to the jockey and can even take the trainer's license away.

Severe? Yes.

Affective? Very.

[bluntiger]

They will often say: "Sorry, we just don't believe you." And hand out a severe ban........

And that is exactly what the rugby community wanted to see in this case but instead they come up with a 'not proven' verdict ie we believe that you deliberately refused to play and that the conditions were suitable for rugby but we can't prove it beyond doubt.

For me it is not Wasps' flagrant flouting of the laws (or lack of laws!) that riles me it is the total disregard to the feelings (and time and finances!) of their fans and the Sale fans.

[Rizzo]

The result may be wrong on several levels, but I have to say it is entirely what I expected it to be.

[g]

We
Are
Soft
Poncey
Southerners.


That just about sums up these cheats.


Why didn't the RFU investigate this? They stuck there oar in to investigate Bloodgate and Drug gate so why are they not investigating Floodgate. Why was PRL investigating and moreover how come Wheeler let them get away with this. I bet if it had been a Wasps board member and it was Tigers they were investigating they wouldn't have let them off the hook.


I would have hoped if the RFU had investigated this incident they wouldn't have let Wasps get away with this. Wasps are sticking two fingers up to everyone involved in rugby especially the supporters who they have a total disregard for.

I hope these cheats do not win the Guiness Premiership, I would much rather have Sarries win it than to see these cheating gits win it.

[tigerburnie]

Have they played at glaws yet this season?,bet the shed gives 'em a choice welcome,"same old insects always........."

[Bill W (2)]

Have they played at glaws yet this season?,bet the shed gives 'em a choice welcome,"same old insects always........."

How will they ever turn out at the Recreation Ground? Whenever is that not a swamp?