Those left to clean up the unholy mess, namely chairman Ieuan Evans and acting chief executive Nigel Walker, had done the decent thing and gone into just about every confessional box in the land from The Seneydd to the smallest club. They said they were sorry for what had happened before their time.
Sorry for the scandal over allegations of sexism and misogyny within their very own Welsh rugby union.
Sorry that their international players feel so neglected they threatened to go on strike instead of playing England.
Sorry for the Union driving them to the brink of industrial action through their long delay in notifying at least half of their professional players, some 200 strong, whether they would still be employed beyond the start of the summer.
Sorry, above all, for the cumulative effect which dragged their national sport through the gutter.
The resignations, the tsunami of public anger, the warnings of big sponsors ready to cut their losses and walk away, were bad enough. A largely losing team and a community game left to rot by years of neglect made a bleak landscape appear bleaker still.
Despite the ever-darkening spectre, nobody spelt out the consequences the way Private (‘We’re all doomed’) Frazer used to do in Dad’s Army, not until one day last week when one of the game’s more enlightened young men revived the old soldier’s lament.
Ashton Hewitt, whose courageous stand against racism has won him legions of admirers far beyond the boundaries of the sport itself, spoke out in his capacity as chairman of the Welsh Rugby Players’ Association. The Dragons’ wing may be too young to remember Private Frazer but what Hewitt said about the state of the Welsh game would have struck a chord with those who do.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة May 14, 2023 من The Rugby Paper.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة May 14, 2023 من The Rugby Paper.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
England can find a little bit of cheer
SO HERE we are on the final day of England’s autumn international series with all of us hoping and expecting Steve Borthwick’s team to win today after three weeks of bitter disappointment.
Stop messing with Marcus - Campese
DAVID Campese believes England are going backwards under Steve Borthwick, who is ‘messing around’ with talisman Marcus Smith.
Being a Lion was the highlight of my career
I PLAYED 19 games and scored 219 points for the Lions, on the tours to South Africa in 1968 and New Zealand in 1971, but I never played in a Test and that was fair enough.
Cook's crew not fazed as they eye tilt at top half
THERE appear to be few signs of second season syndrome at Westcombe Park as captain Nick Cook reveals the group aren’t even contemplating the threat of relegation and are instead targeting a top-half finish.
Forwards pack a punch for the Reds
OLD Redcliffians produced a proud defensive effort to take a bonus-point win.
Tom 'Ailes' the achievements of inspirational skipper Riley
SEDGLEY Park No. 8 Tom Ailes says his team relish the competitive nature of National One and is confident the Tigers can rectify their rocky start to the season in weeks to come.
Strachan confident Ampthill will be firing again soon
FRASER Strachan is determined to put Ampthill’s leaky defensive showings behind them and gain some much needed confidence in the run up to Christmas.
It's a whole new ball game for Rigg
WILL Rigg’s ambition was to become a professional cricketer but it is the oval ball rather than The Oval that is his driver now.
Scarratt leads the way for Lightning
LOUGHBOROUGH won a wet and windy East Midlands Derby after having the bonus point in the bag by half-time.
Becconsall: We need to release pressure
WILL Becconsall says Exeter are not spooked by the threat of relegation as they look to turn around their Premiership campaign after starting with six straight defeats.