RFU members slam Johnson delay
February 26, 2002

The decision to delay England captain Martin Johnson's appeal against a three-week ban has been greeted with dismay by members of the Rugby Football Union.

English rugby's governing body on Monday announced that the hearing could not be held until next week and this freed Johnson to play in Saturday's crucial Lloyds TSB Six Nations Championship match against France, with coach Clive Woodward confirming Johnson would again lead the side in Paris.

However, Woodward had said if the hearing had been this week then the Leicester skipper would not have travelled with the squad.

RFU member Simon Halliday called for changes to be made to make the situation more clear-cut in future.

"Clive should never have been put in this position. The law needs to be changed," said Halliday, who played for England in the 1991 World Cup final against Australia.

"We need to learn a valuable lesson and ensure that in future our disciplinary procedure can be out into motion much quicker.

"It's a bit of a charade," he told the Daily Mail.

One of the more senior RFU members Derek Mann added: "It's a sad reflection on how the game has changed.

"Winning seems to be all that matters."

Live Sports

Communication error please reload the page.

ABOUT COOKIES

To help make this website better, to improve and personalize your experience and for advertising purposes, are you happy to accept cookies and other technologies.

More Info Here Cookie Choices