Rugby thuggery - getting the cops involved?

[Zed]

We had an incident in yesterdays game where our 10 was badly injured. He'd been having a stormer of a game, running rings around the opposition all day. So I'm guessing in frustration the no 8 ran up and deliberately forearmed him in the face, he'd passed the ball a good 3 seconds earlier. He was knocked out and is in hospital with a broken nose, 2 fractured cheekbones and a fractured eye socket. That's his season over with and possibly rugby career? He's only 20. It was probably one of the worst acts of thuggery I've seen. He's 75kg dripping wet and the guy that whacked him must have been at least 110kg. If you'd asked me a week ago, would you involve the cozzers regarding a violent act on the rugby paddock, I would have said no. After what I saw yesetrday, I would love for them to be involved and for this f*ckwit to be charged with assault. Thoughts?

 

[ratsapprentice]

Simply: As nasty as acts like that are, the context does mean that incidents cannot be treated as assault.

The best we can do is trust teams' management to make sure they control their players, and not play people who are that volatile.
It is up to the rugby community worldwide to ensure that as the game grows, the ideals of conduct are taught and upheld.
At the end of the day, things like this are bound to happen every now and again... people are people, and some people are dicks!

 

[nickdnz]

With something like that? Probably not. If it was especially evident then I'd say he should be banned from the game.

Something a bit similar happened last year to a guy in our team. We beat a team preseason in what was a heated game. A few weeks later one of our best players was ambushed in town by some of the people we played, he was king hit and then they continued to beat him till they broke a bone in his neck, which ruled him out for the season. In those incidents I think police need to be called in obviously - but it's a bit different when its on field. Last season I played a game against Wests, in which while I was in a mall a scrum half grabbed my arm, twisted and leveraged it over his sholder and then tried to snap it. As mad as I was (though luckily uninjured - it may be different had he succeeded) I just ruled it as him being an absolute **** wit and thought he shouldn't be allowed to play rugby.

 

[McTallshort]

Didnt someone get charged in a Welsh league game once for breaking someones leg and a few years ago in one of the southern English leagues a player lost an eye thanks to some scum bag gauging him, the police wanted to arrest the offending player but could not prove who it was.

It is a fine line sometimes in Rugby you could be letting the flood gates open if you start charging people for on the pitch incidents not just for criminal prosecutions but also ambulance chasers looking to expend the ever lucrative compo culture but if we want it kept in house then the unions have to take action against idiots like the one Zed mentioned.

 

[duncanb]

In 2012 a player from keynsham rfc jailed for 6 months for breaking jaw of player during match, this was in a 2nd team game in south west england not sure of laws in country as wether or not an offence can be committed on a sports pitch but certainly can be here.

 

[lucky number 7]

I don't think I'd get them involved. Get his name and where he plays , next time your teams meet return the act in kind with interest. Have every single ruck he's stupid enough to enter a hazard.

The best thing that could be done is a massive ban where he can't play our game anymore... If that does not happen the its your duty to ensure he never wants to play again.

I dislike scumbags. He's most definitely a scumbag

 

[dasNdanger]

When the incident happens in the course of play it is hard to determine the exact degree of intent (at least without video footage). However, when it appears to be a malicious hit (with or without confirmation) then I think something should at least be said to the other team's management, either formally or over a pint - just so they know someone is watching.

Now, I don't know how 'old boys' club' rugby is on your level, and if crying foul will just make it worse for a team, or not. However, you are talking about a serious injury here. While a team may not want to be known as the crybabies, I think it's still important to remind ALL the teams that good sportsmanship is a hallmark of the game on every level, and that dirty play comes with strong penalties on the pro level, which should set the example for all teams regardless of the level of play.

That said, if anything like that happened off the field, then yes, I would bring up assault charges. Rugby is a physical game and steam should be let out on the pitch, not off of it. If that's not enough and a guy still feels a need to hit someone after the game is over, then he probably needs some anger management therapy...or a beer. Or both. You can't turn a blind eye to wanton off-pitch violence or pretty soon rugby players will have the same rep as football fans...lol.


das

 

[Groundhog]

No I don't think you can get the police involved in most cases. I think criminal reprocussions would be a real turn off for prespective players. I like LN7's way of thinking. Get them in a ruck, get them back on the sly.
That's what my Dad has always encouraged me to do

 

[admartian]

Seriously, wtf is it with thugs in rugby? You see it internationals too.

I don't get it. I understand cheating slightly or tackling harder, or cleaning out harder etc; but assaulting someone like that plus a 3 second late hit (which is a long time in the context of a contact sport) is just mind bogglingly uncalled for.

****ers should get sprigs to the nuts...

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

The problem is, and people overlook this a lot, that a large number of rugby players are complete tossers. They're also not very bright. Put two and two together...

Most of the people on the forum could probably be excluded, the sheer fact that they're able to communicate on here rules them out of that second category.

Rugby, really, is a thuggish game, and attracts thuggish people. It's the unfortunate nature of the sport. It's not as bad as league of course, but it's still not good.

 

[big ginger 8]

The problem is, and people overlook this a lot, that a large number of rugby players are complete tossers. They're also not very bright. Put two and two together...

Most of the people on the forum could probably be excluded, the sheer fact that they're able to communicate on here rules them out of that second category.

Rugby, really, is a thuggish game, and attracts thuggish people. It's the unfortunate nature of the sport. It's not as bad as league of course, but it's still not good.

"Rugby's a good excuse for keeping 30 bullies out of the city centre" Oscar Wilde right there.

 

[sifplay]

Seriously, wtf is it with thugs in rugby? You see it internationals too.

I don't get it. I understand cheating slightly or tackling harder, or cleaning out harder etc; but assaulting someone like that plus a 3 second late hit (which is a long time in the context of a contact sport) is just mind bogglingly uncalled for.

****ers should get sprigs to the nuts...

F Steyn has been cited for a shoulder. One wonders how Franks seems to avoid any form of sanction. I had him down for punching, tackling with no arms, charging into a ruck, illegal scrumming, collapsing a maul and generally behaving like a pest yet he gets through a game with impunity.

 

[dasNdanger]

Seriously, wtf is it with thugs in rugby? You see it internationals too.

I don't get it. I understand cheating slightly or tackling harder, or cleaning out harder etc; but assaulting someone like that plus a 3 second late hit (which is a long time in the context of a contact sport) is just mind bogglingly uncalled for.

****ers should get sprigs to the nuts...

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that in the professional game there is growing incentive (financially, that is) to bring in more spectators and supporters, and one way to do that is make the game more 'exciting'. When I first started watching, not too many years into the pro game, I noticed that there was an unspoken 'gentleman's code' to the game, one not found in the laws. There were those cheap shots that were given a nod of approval, and those that were met with righteous indignation.

While it does seem that the big offenses (eye gouges, intentional stamping, etc) are earning harsh penalties, I am amazed at the number of malicious hits I've seen in the pro game over the past year. If this is being 'encouraged' on the pro level, it's bound to trickle down all the way to the hometown clubs sitting at the bottom of the sport. Make it cleaner at the top, and hopefully everyone will learn from it.

The problem is, and people overlook this a lot, that a large number of rugby players are complete tossers. They're also not very bright. Put two and two together...

Most of the people on the forum could probably be excluded, the sheer fact that they're able to communicate on here rules them out of that second category.

Rugby, really, is a thuggish game, and attracts thuggish people. It's the unfortunate nature of the sport. It's not as bad as league of course, but it's still not good.

I'm not so sure about that. I can't say on the player level since I don't know that many rugby players (well, I know one and he's not thuggish at all), but rugby fans are nowhere near as thuggish as football fans, and it has been my experience that fans often reflect the overall attitude of the game they enjoy the most. If anything, I'd say that rugby is more of an elitist game (compared to football, basketball, and even rugby league), so rather than thuggish I'd say there's a level of arrogance that may affect a player's attitude on the pitch.


das

 

[lhprop1]

I miss the old days when you could just tell your teammates to mark the offending player and solve the problem yourselves.

Now, sadly, even a "gentle reminder" with the boots that you're not supposed to lay over the ball is penalized harshly.

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

I'm not so sure about that. I can't say on the player level since I don't know that many rugby players (well, I know one and he's not thuggish at all), but rugby fans are nowhere near as thuggish as football fans, and it has been my experience that fans often reflect the overall attitude of the game they enjoy the most. If anything, I'd say that rugby is more of an elitist game (compared to football, basketball, and even rugby league), so rather than thuggish I'd say there's a level of arrogance that may affect a player's attitude on the pitch.


das

Definitely. Especially when you look at the hooliganism in England and the like. I also think rugby players are less inclined to complain to the referee, but that's more because there are harsher sanctions for it (thank God).

I also think at the higher level it's less prominent, particularly in places like England. People grow up, and stop being such ass holes as they were as kids, whereas football players in England are elevated to God-like status.

That being said, definitely at a younger level, and for some of the guys who progress to the top, a large proportion of rugby players are tossers

 

[lucky number 7]

To be fair there at least here there aren't too many tossers playing.. You'll get the rare occasion where someone does something **** , Gouging etc..as a chap fingers tended to gravitate towards my eyes but it's rare you'll see anything that dirty or as brazen as the shot in the OP

And normally if someone throws a dig it'll be done and over with by the end of the game ,which I love , I've seen a bloke spit out a tooth and then shake the punchers hand and laugh after the game... (that said the toothless bloke instigated violence)

I love this game.

 

[sifplay]

Think todays guys are pussies. This is how guys looked after a Springbok v Allblack match in the old days

 

[dasNdanger]

Wait. Isn't that guy at the bottom Bane from the last Batman movie?

:huh:


das

 

[sifplay]

^haha good one look that way

This is how they use to greet each other