Thu, Sep 03, 2009 page20

• Probe finds Richards’ role central to blood scandal

  • AFP AND AP
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  Former Harlequins rugby director Dean Richards has been described as central to the blood cheating scandal that shamed his club.

  Quins winger Tom Williams faked a blood injury to allow a substitution to be made in last April’s European Cup quarter-final against Leinster.

  He was given a fake blood capsule in an attempt to get goal kicker Nick Evans, who had earlier left the field injured, back into the action.

  The Premiership club were hit with a £260,000 (US$422,000) fine, while Richards was forced to resign after being banned from rugby for three years and Williams was also given a four-month ban.

  Richards, 46, came under fire again yesterday as he was strongly criticized in a written judgement of his European Rugby Cup (ERC) appeal hearing.

  The former England star’s role in the controversy is laid bare in a damning judgement that runs to almost 100 pages and could leave his reputation in tatters.

  Details of Williams’ written judgement at the appeal were released last week, and further documentation regarding evidence given by Richards and former physiotherapist Steph Brennan, who was also forced to resign, has now been published.

  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 injury on 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’ lip by Dr [Wendy] Chapman,” the judgement said.

  “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,” it said.

  “In one of the highest profile matches in which the club had ever been involved, he was prepared to try to cheat Leinster out of a victory by bringing on a player at a crucial stage in the match when that player was not entitled to return to the field of play,” the judgement said.

  “He was quite disinterested in the consideration that by acting the way he did the club which deserved to win the match might be deprived of its victory,” it said.

  “He had long since recruited Mr Brennan as his willing lieutenant in such activities, and in identifying Mr Williams as the person who would fake the blood injury he had selected a player who he thought could be suborned into cheating,” the judgement said. “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,” it said. “We considered the primary interest of Mr Richards was in preventing his own role in events being discovered.”

  Quins have so far avoided expulsion from this season’s European Cup and their opening game is scheduled against Cardiff Blues for Oct. 10.

  However, ERC could yet reconsider the situation, while the Rugby Football Union might also decide to investigate further, especially since the appeal committee judgement leaves no doubt that Richards had encouraged others to deliberately mislead the investigating bodies.

  “Mr Richards arranged matters so that those who were charged with misconduct complaints would lie to the legal team and would then lie to the disciplinary hearing,” the judgement continued. “Mr Richards was by far and away the most experienced and senior individual involved.”
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