Lions 2009 - SARU to review Lions punishment

Eurosport - Wed, 26 Aug 12:24:00 2009

The South African Rugby Union plan to "review" the punishment handed down by an independent disciplinary committee for their controversial protest during this summer's British and Irish Lions tour.

RUGBY Bakkies Botha, the South Africa lock - 0

Springbok players and management wore armbands that featured the word "Justice" during the third Test defeat in Johannesburg in solidarity with Bakkies Botha (pictured), who had been suspended for a dangerous charge on Lions prop Adam Jones in Pretoria seven days earlier.

The South Africa Rugby Union received a £10,000 fine and each player who wore an armband landed a £200 fine with the exception of captain John Smit, who was fined £1,000.

The disciplinary committee, a feature of the International Rugby Board justice system, found SARU, their players and officials guilty of bringing the game into disrepute.

A statement from the union president Oregan Hoskins read: "We note the outcome of the International Rugby Board's disciplinary committee hearing into the charges brought against the South African Rugby Union, Springbok players and management.

"We are reviewing the full findings of the committee and will respond once that review is concluded."

PA Sport

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  1. The Disciplinary Booard do not seem to realise that we­ are in the21st century. The fines they handed out are a­ joke, and not a particularly funny one at that
    The­ kind of behaviour which caused all this commotion will­ continue until someone is killed in the cause of ­ " sport". Why wait until that inevitable­ day? Will the match be abandoned? Declared void? ­ Replayed?

    From mike, on Thu 27 Aug 12:13AM

  2. Leon no protest of this type can ever be condoned it­ was pathetic. There are already procedures in place for­ a protest and the SARU had to do this via the correct­ channels.

    What happened was childish and should have­ been better thought out, yes it did get some attention­ but all the wrong sort. If the International teams­ cannot set an example and follow correct procedure then­ what hope for the club game.

    Bakkies always plays­ border line rugby and was fully aware of what he did.­ Sometimes it's a tight call, on this instance he­ may have been unlucky but there are many other­ ooccasions when he has been lucky not to be cited.

    The­ one thing you are absolutely right on though is­ consistency, the IRB must resolve this.

    From Joe B, on Wed 26 Aug 5:03PM
  3. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Steve,
    When Giteau took out Morne Steyn without the­ ball, clearly targeting the man only, no punishment was­ metered out. Bakkies was playing hard rugby, and the­ punishment was questionable.
    Some form of protest is­ appropriate when inconsistent discipline is metered­ out. Doing nothing is not always enough. At least the­ protest has focussed some attention on the whole­ punishment thing.

    From Leon, on Wed 26 Aug 2:59PM

  4. I like Bakkies Botha and the way he plays the game, so­ I was disappointed with the ban he received for his­ charge on Adam Jones. It was the type of injury any­ forward can pick up. Nonetheless the way the Boks­ responded with their handwritten scrawls on some­ masking tape was pathetic.

    It was the type of thing­ you would expect from a bunch of school kids not­ professional sportsmen.

    I hope the review concludes­ that the fines were not substantial enough and hand out­ some suspended bans, and put an end to this type of­ behaviour.

    From steve b, on Wed 26 Aug 1:49PM
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