Monday’s rugby news has the Wallabies reacting to JOC’s dumping, more Heineken Cup developments, Irish rugby struggling and some punishments in order for ACT front row pair.
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Horwill supports O’Connor axing
While Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie did not consult any of the team before making his decision to stand down repeat off-field offender O’Connor, captain James Horwill has made it clear that Link has the players’ complete backing. ‘I fully support Ewen’s decision and I guess it’s for the best of the team,” Horwill told AAP. ‘That’s what we’re about, the team comes first in these situations.’
As a result, it appears that winger Joe Tomane will fill JOC’s shoes. Asked about his second opportunity on the Wallabies wing, Tomani said, ‘If I am picked, I really just want to do the best I can for the team, do the best I can for my country and hopefully make everyone proud.’ Waratahs winger Peter Betham will also be recalled from his holiday in Bali (ironically enough) to join Australia’s Rugby Championship squad. [/one_half]
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Heineken Cup buried
The English and French clubs have finally announced the formation of a rival to the European Cup in their breakaway competition, the Rugby Champions Cup. Premiership Rugby and the Ligue Natrionale de Rugby have been threatening the move and demanding changes to income distribution, more meritocracy-based principles of inclusion and a reduction from 24 to 20 teams. These were all reportedly rejected by Celtic League teams and the ERC, leading to the divide.
Brett Gosper, the IRB chief executive officer, was asked about the IRB’s preferred outcome last week, responding, ‘We don’t think a tournament such as that is in the interest of the game.’ In breaking news, the French Rugby Federation (FFR) could block the new competition, asserting that without their approval, ‘The statement released by the clubs appears therefore irrelevant and inappropriate.’ England’s RFU previously held a similar approach but has since offered their support. [/one_half]
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Irish rugby in shambles
While the new Rugby Champions Cup will be open to Celtic teams from the rival Pro12 league, Peter Boyle, an IRFU representative on the ERC management board is adamant that none of the Irish provinces will join. Boyle ruled out the union funded Connacht, Leinster, Munster or Ulster entering into a deal with the RFU and FFR.
This could mean disaster for Irish Rugby though. The IRFU admitted in the summer that they would be borrowing £21 million to fund the professional game over the next six years. If the Heineken Cup comes to an end this season at a loss of more than £4m annually to them and their provinces, Ireland could be forced into the unthinkable position of pulling out of the 2015 Rugby World Cup. [/one_half]
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Props behaving badly
In another unfortunate off-field behaviour, Brumbies props Ruan and Jean-Pierre Smith have been reprimanded for their involvement in a brawl at the Duxton bar last month. The South African born twins have been fined and forced to undergo counselling, extra community work and provide an apology.
Although no charges were laid and no-one was seriously injured, Brumbies chief executive Andrew Fagan stated their actions had breached the club’s code of conduct, adding, ‘They found themselves in an environment where they shouldn’t have [been] and didn’t handle themselves well.’ These disciplinary standards have been a stable of Jake White’s two years at the helm of the Brumbies franchise with Fagan also asserting that the brawl had soured a ‘great season.’ [/one_half]
