Former England captain Lawrence Dallaglio has joined a 13-man Rugby Football Union task-force that aims to clean up the sport’s image after recent drugs and cheating scandals.
The English RFU formed the “Image of the Game Task Group” in the wake of drug issues at Bath and the fake blood controversy at Harlequins.
Bath have lost five players to drug-related issues this year, including England prop Matt Stevens and former Australia lock Justin Harrison who admitted taking cocaine.
Michael Lipman and Alex Crockett are appealing against nine-month bans for missing drug tests, while Andrew Higgins has retired from the game after being found guilty of the same offence.
Harlequins were found guilty of cheating in their European Cup quarter-final against Leinster after Tom Williams used fake blood to feign injury.
Williams’ evidence in an appeal hearing led to former Quins director of rugby Dean Richards receiving a three-year ban and physio Steph Brennan a two-year suspension.
Dallaglio is joined on the new panel by players’ union chairman and Bath prop David Barnes, club chairmen Cecil Duckworth and Andrew Coppell plus executives from Twickenham, including Rob Andrew and RFU disciplinary chief Judge Jeff Blackett.
The group is chaired by RFU president John Owen and will conduct a “wide-ranging and thorough review of issues in the game”, including an investigation into the scale of cheating within rugby.
It will investigate the impact the case has had on the game as a whole, including spectators and sponsors, and consider any other evidence of “cheating and gamesmanship”.
The group will have the powers to call in for interview any individual involved in with an RFU member club and in some cases will consider offering immunity from disciplinary action to any individual with relevant information.
RFU chief executive Francis Baron said: “The RFU has been very clear that we needed to act quickly at a game-wide level to ensure that recent events can never happen again.
“This is not a disciplinary panel set up to take action against clubs and players, the RFU disciplinary process will handle that should it be necessary. Nor will it be a talking shop.
“It will be focused on the issues at hand and actionable solutions. We will do whatever it takes to rebuild the reputation of the sport and that work starts now.”
Knives Out
Guest
Outstanding work ethic, won ever honour the game offers and has the players respect. Outstanding decision. Bring it home, Lawrence.
Wally James
Guest
Poacher turned gamekeeper. Extraordinarily bad decision.
Ian Noble
Guest
Good decision to have Dallagio on board he has written about blood capsules and other transgressions, and was famously caught out by the "drugs scam", when he was captain of England. As Spiro has always said he is well versed in the dark arts of the game.
Dean Pantio
Guest
Took the words out of my mouth.
Harry
Guest
a bit of a joke having Dallio on the committee- his own behaviour was not exemplary.He had a couple of suspensions, was involved in drugs at one stage and lost the English captaincy because of it and had a habit of cheap shot/late tackles.