Rugby Union is a physical and violent game, making cuts and bruises a normal occurrence in any game of professional rugby. However when Tom Williams was replaced by specialist kicker Nick Evans for a blood injury, some of the opposition spotted that this wasnt your normal blood-bin substitution.
Upon review of this incident it has been brought to light that Williams had been instructed by his coach to use fake blood so that Nick Evans could replace him and attempt the winning drop goal. Nick missed the attempt and Harlequins subsequently lost the tie, unfortunately for Harlequins and indeed for English Rugby Union this was the least of their worries.
The incident has had a negative affect upon Harlequins Rugby Club and on rugby union in general which has seen its reputation tarnished in the media. Further to the investigation which was undertaken, Tom Williams has been given a 4 month ban and ex-Harlequins director of rugby Dean Richards has been banned from coaching in European competition for three years.
This may seem harsh as since the so-called bloodgate, retired England internationals Lawrence Dallaglio and Will Carling have both come out saying that this problem is rife in English rugby, as a new form of professionalism or gamesmanship. Carling said Richards is taking the rap for a problem that is widespread throughout the game. This would suggest that cheating is essentially going on throughout professional rugby and an effective public relations campaign is needed if rugby wants to shake these claims
There is a more sinister aspect involved in this case, which is the way in which it was covered up. Not only did the Harlequins staff instruct their employee Williams to fake the injury, they also actually cut his mouth with a scalpel in case he was examined and when he faced a 12 month ban for cheating they turned their back on him and protested their innocence. It was only when Williams agreed to come clean to help reduce his ban that Harlequins admitted any wrong-doing.
Not so long ago rugby union was a proudly amateur sport, with the current professional game seen to adopt the same ethos of fair play and integrity which amateur rugby personified, unfortunately both fair play and integrity were left bereft in the win at all costs professionalism which Harlequins adopted.
Along with bloodgate, three Bath players have been banned for 9 months for missing drug tests which further damages the image of rugby union. Michael Lipman, Alex Crockett and Andrew Higgins were found guilty of misconduct after missing two drug tests. Unfortunately for Bath Rugby Club, another of their players; Justin Harrison was banned for 8 months after admitting three charges, including taking drugs. These incidents have resulted in rugby union and certain clubs being seen in a negative light and more worryingly allows young rugby fans to grow up watching their heroes cheat and take drugs. With four players being found guilty, two of which who were co-captains and one a former Australian international, it make the public wonder if more of the Bath squad or any other squad for that matter, are involved in illegal drug taking. To add to this, the dirty play such as eye gouging and other off the ball incidents which featured in the British and Irish Lions test matches against the world champion Springboks this summer will just add to the public relations nightmare which rugby union is currently facing.
For Harlequins, Bath and rugby union as a whole it would appear that more needs to be done in terms of sports PR than Harlequins internal investigation. But what steps should these clubs take next to improve their media relations and show the fans that this is not how they want professional rugby to be perceived. Sports PR expert Phil Hall said What clubs like Harlequins and Bath need to do is regain the trust of the fans. They need to show them, along with the media that their players and coaches are of good character and good intentions, this way hopefully the fans will look upon these players as role models and follow their examples. One example of how to do this, would be to open a training session to the fans and allow young kids to talk to the players and watch them train"
At the moment it is a matter of reputation management for both Bath and Harlequins, they need to give back to the community as well as developing an open relationship with the media so there are no doubts surrounding how their clubs are run. Helping out in the community by perhaps working with local charities will show contrition and a willingness to be a positive influence for the youth of today and for their fans.
With still over a fortnight to go before the Guinness Premierships starts up again, there is still time for English rugby to restore the fans faith by cleaning up its image. Steps have already been taken to ensure this with the lengthy 3 year ban of Dean Richards and the three players from Bath, Michael Lipman, Alex Crockett and Andrew Higgins being banned for 9 months. Perhaps this will show Rugby Unions good intentions to clean up their game and set a good example for todays youth to follow.
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