English Rugby
England warned over numbers fiasco
ESPNscrum Staff
September 12, 2011
England's Jonny Wilkinson kicks for the posts, England v Argentina, Rugby World Cup, Otago Stadium, Dunedin, New Zealand, September 10, 2011
The numbers on the back of England's shirt peeled off during the clash © Getty Images
Enlarge

England are to be warned by Rugby World Cup organisers to fix their peeling shirt numbers or face a potential fine.

The white numbers, applied by a local company in New Zealand, failed to bond properly on the black jerseys and began to rub off during England's opening victory over Argentina. Rugby World Cup Ltd have said they will be seeking assurances from England that there will be no repeat in Sunday's Pool B encounter with Romania.

A lack of clear shirt numbers breaches the tournament participation agreement. It is not just fans and broadcasters who need clear numbers but also referees, touch judges and anti-doping officers in order to identify players.

An England spokesman would not confirm whether they plan to use the same printing firm this week, but he insisted they were addressing the problem saying: "Nobody has contacted us yet. They know we will sort it out."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

Live Sports

Communication error please reload the page.