Dean Richards did the honourable thing and resigned today as Harlequins boss:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/my_club/harlequins/8191209.stm

But then we have read of Bath and Harlequins players fighting in a London bar this close season- and 3 or 4 Bath players retiring or resigning to try to avoid substance abuse charges....

Can any rugby boys on here tell me- what is going on?

It`s going down the cess pit with all the other major sports,WBB! Behaviour standards are non existent (on and off the field ) with sport affording performers in the top flight great wealth they are ill-equipped to handle.
All to do with the money we lavish on them via Sky subscoptions and the like.Anybody signed up for ESPN yet?

Follow that if you can!

Rupert, enjoy your break- I hope you will remain an all-year round poster, and you will join us for the inevitable rebuild discussions and debates on here in October and onwards.

You will be missed.

I'm seeing Dean Richards in a new light- and not a good one...

He has now been banned from European coaching for 3 years and fined 300k euros, to be paid in full, by the supreme rugby disciplinary committee tonight.

The reason? The Tom Williams affair- where it became obvious that Richards had been the orchestrator and not the ignorant coach- he was found to have been involved in four previous incidents!

Williams had his 12 month ban reduced to 4 months at the same hearing.

Here we have the full 38 page report.

Richards was proven by the ERC/IRB- backed committee to be a bullying cheat and a dictator. I think his career in rugby is sadly now over.

Harlequins CEO Mark Evans is also in trouble now- he didn't organise Richards' blood scam- but he did then try to cover it up. The committee also have problems with him that the RFU might have a gentle chat with him about.

http://www.ercrugby.com/images/content/cupstandard/Tom_Williams_Independent_Appeal_Committee_Decision.pdf

*shakes head....if this was April 1st..*

Has rugby all gone stark raving mad? All 21 guys could get 10 years plus if the lady dies.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/8229073.stm

Probably get put down to a prank gone wrong as it's connected with rugby.
If it were football supporters this would be front page news.

It's getting front page news now- the poor woman has had to be transferred twice- from cottage hospital to Aberystwyth hospital to neurological hospital in Swansea.

So here was me thinking she was at death's door- and she was home: albeit not in too good an appearance...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/8229813.stm

Do the Press exaggerate, or what?

As expected the Bloodgate scandal is far from over.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/international/england/6143753/Bloodgate-role-would-see-Martin-Johnson-hung-out-to-dry.html

Small world department- Ed Smith [see the Kent reference elsewhere, yesterday] now on R5 talking to Gabby Logan about sporting ethics. And lack of.