England side for the Barbarians game

[padprop]

Lot going on here I think. Why the BaaBaas management put them in Park Lane and all the associated temptations should be questionned. Also, if they were allowed to go for coffee as reported, why is this any different?

BUT for the players, why think they could do this if they had, as the BBs management says, told them they couldn't?

Finally - of all the places you could go, why Bella Italia?

Rumour has it Robshaw had a coupon he needed using up. No, not a joke

[Mellsblue]

Lot going on here I think. Why the BaaBaas management put them in Park Lane and all the associated temptations should be questionned. Also, if they were allowed to go for coffee as reported, why is this any different?

BUT for the players, why think they could do this if they had, as the BBs management says, told them they couldn't?

Finally - of all the places you could go, why Bella Italia?

Rumour has it Robshaw had a coupon he needed using up. No, not a joke

I really hope this is true. I also need to get my hands on a voucher worth more than a BaaBaas appearance fee.

[Scrumhead]

Joking aside, the fallout of this could kill off Bella Italia which means a lot of people losing their jobs.

They were already struggling before the pandemic and this could be a killer blow. I wouldn’t lay the blame at their door, but they have essentially allowed their customers to break rules they are supposed to be enforcing.

[padprop]

I dont know if Bella Italia broke protocol. The Baba’s have been in a bubble living together and I imagine they were sat as two tables of 6. The video of them drinking upstairs appears to be in a different location?

[Mellsblue]

I’d also imagine 99% of the population have absolutely no idea this has even happened.

[Mellsblue]

Willis is a freak at the breakdown but there’s no way he was supporting his own weight there.

[Peej]

Willis is a freak at the breakdown but there’s no way he was supporting his own weight there.

And the four Exeter players?

[Mellsblue]

Willis is a freak at the breakdown but there’s no way he was supporting his own weight there.

And the four Exeter players?

Agreed....was just about to post this:

CMK allowing Exe players to seal off at will. Poor.

Then realised this is the wrong thread.

[Peej]

Ha me too!

[Puja]

The bigger thing is are the owners of San Diego Surfer Dudes Rugby looking for a reason not to pay Robshaw's wages in a Covid economy, and can they make use of this incident?

I wouldn't've thought so. The league is young enough that it's losing money regularly regardless and owners of a franchise are rich and in it for the love of it. Plus, Robshaw's only going ro be on $50k per season (max wage allowed) plus perks, so cutting him wouldn't save that much money.

Puja

Is he then on a Sarries type deal, low stated value on the books and quite a chunk more off the books? All those off book payments still need funding in the new normal.

I've no doubt he's getting a couple of decent paying coaching jobs outside of his contract to bulk things up, but I doubt he's on loads - the draw is partly weather and location, partly the chance to be a big fish and get paid for another couple of seasons playing 15-odd games, and partly the chance of getting his name out there for post-career pundity, coaching, speaking in a growing rugby market.

Besides, the new normal in MLR isn't that much different from the old normal - San Diego only get 4-5k supporters per game right now, so most of it is investor funded anyway.

Puja

[Mellsblue]

I wouldn't've thought so. The league is young enough that it's losing money regularly regardless and owners of a franchise are rich and in it for the love of it. Plus, Robshaw's only going ro be on $50k per season (max wage allowed) plus perks, so cutting him wouldn't save that much money.

Puja

Is he then on a Sarries type deal, low stated value on the books and quite a chunk more off the books? All those off book payments still need funding in the new normal.

I've no doubt he's getting a couple of decent paying coaching jobs outside of his contract to bulk things up, but I doubt he's on loads - the draw is partly weather and location, partly the chance to be a big fish and get paid for another couple of seasons playing 15-odd games, and partly the chance of getting his name out there for post-career pundity, coaching, speaking in a growing rugby market.

Besides, the new normal in MLR isn't that much different from the old normal - San Diego only get 4-5k supporters per game right now, so most of it is investor funded anyway.

Puja

I listened to an interview he did with an MLR podcast. He didn’t even try to pretend that it wasn’t primarily about the lifestyle.

[Digby]

Has he not heard Mexico is sending up all their worst people out of The Baja? (As an aside I bloody love San Diego)

I've no idea if his contract would get canned, I just think if it does it's going to be more a convenient excuse than any particular point of principle. Yes the funding might be investor led, but they still need to derive funds from somewhere and things are getting squeezed right now.

[fivepointer]

The RFU is bringing charges against 13 Barbarian FC players who will appear before an online independent disciplinary panel.
RFU
The panel will be chaired by Philip Evans QC as the players are charged with conduct prejudicial to the interests of the Union or the Game, contrary to RFU Rule 5.12.

The players will face a range of charges including:

Individual breaches of the protocols (E.g. leaving the hotel without permission or without informing organisers of their whereabouts)
Providing false statements during an investigation
The RFU recognises the pressure public scrutiny is placing on the players and therefore it will publish players’ names, full judgements and sanctions after the hearings have concluded.

There is no sanction table applicable to charges brought under Rule 5.12 therefore the Independent Panel can issue a range of sanctions at their discretion including fines and/or match bans and/or any other suitable sanction.

[Puja]

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/ ... ugby-union

4 week bans and fines. Just what Leicester need from their new signing of Wigglesworth.

Puja

[Digby]

Will anyone have the chutzpah to appeal?

[Puja]

Doubt it. Wonder if the 4 game ban applies outside of the UK - whether it will follow Robshaw to San Diego or if it's just symbolic like the one given to the now-retired Fergus McFadden.

Just thinking - I complained about Leicester losing Wigglesworth, but those bans sre going to make Saracens' first 4 games in the Championship awfully interesting...

Puja

[Mellsblue]

but those bans sre going to make Saracens' first 4 games in the Championship awfully interesting...

Puja

Every other club in the Champ, and their fans, are currently praying they get Sarries during this period.

[Banquo]

Calum Clark really has a nose for misdeeds.

[Oakboy]

What does all this do for the long-term future of the Barbarians?

[Mellsblue]

Nothing.

[Digby]

Doubt it. Wonder if the 4 game ban applies outside of the UK - whether it will follow Robshaw to San Diego or if it's just symbolic like the one given to the now-retired Fergus McFadden.

Just thinking - I complained about Leicester losing Wigglesworth, but those bans sre going to make Saracens' first 4 games in the Championship awfully interesting...

Puja

The ban will have to follow Robshaw, unless USA Rugby is going to split from the IRB.

[Mellsblue]

Doubt it. Wonder if the 4 game ban applies outside of the UK - whether it will follow Robshaw to San Diego or if it's just symbolic like the one given to the now-retired Fergus McFadden.

Just thinking - I complained about Leicester losing Wigglesworth, but those bans sre going to make Saracens' first 4 games in the Championship awfully interesting...

Puja

The ban will have to follow Robshaw, unless USA Rugby is going to split from the IRB.

Any extra four weekends on the surf board, then. Tough gig.

[Puja]

Doubt it. Wonder if the 4 game ban applies outside of the UK - whether it will follow Robshaw to San Diego or if it's just symbolic like the one given to the now-retired Fergus McFadden.

Just thinking - I complained about Leicester losing Wigglesworth, but those bans sre going to make Saracens' first 4 games in the Championship awfully interesting...

Puja

The ban will have to follow Robshaw, unless USA Rugby is going to split from the IRB.

Ah, I wasn't sure if RFU disciplinary proceedings were just for competitions that the RFU controlled (and any unions that they have reciprocal arrangements with) or if they automatically went up to IRB level and followed the player wherever they went. If that's the case, I wonder if San Diego will suddenly develop a pressing desire to hold four exhibition games.

Also, USAR is in so much debt to the IRB that you can see Beaumont's lips moving when his hand works their mouth, so I don't think there's much a risk of a schism.

Puja