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Dean Richards' reputation has been burnt to a cinder' by the Bloodgate controversy after damning evidence emerged which confirmed he was the driving force behind the fake blood replacement of Tom Williams in the last season's Heineken Cup clash with Leinster.
European Rugby Cup officials published their findings into the affair today in a 99-page document. The evidence released shows Richards, who resigned his position as director of rugby in the wake of the scandal, told the committee that only he and former club physio Steph Brennan knew the blood capsules were kept at the club.
While the position of Mark Evans, the chief executive, appears more secure — with chairman Charles Jillings having already resigned — the findings make it abundantly clear Quins did all they could to hinder the investigation. In their judgement, the appeal committee said: “Mr Richards was the directing mind and had central control over everything that happened in relation to the fabrication of the blood injuryon the pitch, and the cover-up in the days after the match. The only aspect of the matter in which the appeal committee determined he did not have direct involvement was the alleged cutting of Mr Williams's lip by Dr (Wendy) Chapman.
“It was Mr Richards who had instigated and directed arrangements which enabled the fabrication of blood injuries as and when that was convenient and would assist the club during matches.”
The report added: “His (Richards) was the dominant personality and influence on affairs.
“He instigated the cover-up to the extent of requiring Mr Brennan to fabricate statements and then refining the fabrications to ensure that all statements were consistent.”
Mark Gay, Richards's solicitor, told the appeals committee the ban on his client would “have an incredible impact” on his career and his reputation was now “burnt to a cinder.”
Brennan, banned for two years for helping fabricate injuries, said in his evidence that he asked Richards (above) to stop using the capsules but was still carrying out the practice three months later.
However, the Rugby Football Union has made it clear that four Quins players involved in other faked injury incidents orchestrated by Richards will not be punished as they gave evidence to the club under the promise of anonymity.
Reader views (4)
Although this idiotic farse has perhaps reached the correct conclusions, you've got to wonder why premeditation to alter the outcome of a game is only being harshly treated in the instance of the blood capsules. A lot of the laws of the game need a serious revision, otherwise competitive people, as professional rugby players tend to be, will still be playing the system. Has the whole debacle of 'uncontested scrums' not brought more cheating or disatisfaction to more high profile games, than a faked blood injury? Richards was a great and competitive player in his time with a winning mentality, that doesn't diminish with time. Perhaps he too thought that if teams can get away with uncontested scrums, why not push the blood replacement law to its limit....
RFU its not time to lose a great coach, its time you looked in the mirror!
- Harsh But Fair, London
Still, it's only rugby ;0)
- Paul, London
Quins RU should be kicked out of rugby full stop.
The Stoop should be taken from them, painted red, Reverend James installed in the bar and handed over to full control of London Welsh RFC.
- Anthony, Esher, Surrey
Dean Richards' Leicester chum - England boss Martin Johnson - says he sympathises with Dean Richards. "You are under pressure and you try and win games !" he said today. Is Johnson so blind that he cannot see the low nature of the action Richards authorised ? What he neglected to mention was that Leicester did the same thing - faking an injury to a player - to get their best goal-kicker onto the pitch in Cardiff in the Heineken cup semi-final, for the penalty shoot-out, and won that by one kick. This blight on English rugby needs sorting out.
- Keith Price, Luton England
