I recently emailed Spiro Zavos about my concerns for the current system of suspensions used in rugby. Part of my email was as follows: “The John Smit-Brad Thorn incident illustrates the point that an act of foul play resulting in an injury normally leaves the victim on the sidelines longer than the perpetrator.”
“I’d like to make a simple suggestion – whenever an act of foul play results in both the suspension of a player and an injury to a ‘victim’, the suspension awarded would not commence until the victim was once again fit to play.
Until that time the guilty player would be stood down from matches.
In effect, all suspensions would consist of a standard suspension plus an additional suspension equivalent to the amount of time the victim is unfit to play.
Do you think this would be workable?”
Spiro kindly replied with a good point which I’d overlooked: “I see all sorts of problems with this. If a less than senior-very good player is injured by a key opponent, there will be an incentive to keep the inured player out of the game for as long as possible, and therefore keep someone like Brad Thorn out for a long time.”
I believe this could possibly be overcome by appointing a doctor of sports medicine to advise judiciaries at the time the incident is being reviewed.
He could give an estimated time that the victim would be out injured and his recommendation could be immediately added to the suspension period.
Does anyone have any suggestions as to how the judiciary could be changed to better provide justice to the victims of foul play and cheap shots?
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