Boozing Barbarians have Dylan Hartley reminiscing about England's infamous dwarf tossing controversy
The fallout from last week’s boozing Barbarians controversy has prompted Dylan Hartley to revisit one of the most infamous episodes of England Rugby World Cup history – the 2011 dwarf tossing shenanigans in Queenstown.
Last Sunday’s England match against the Barbarians at Twickenham was cancelled after it emerged that players from the invitational club side, a posse that included ex-England skipper Chris Robshaw, twice breached the protective hotel bubble designed to ensure the Quilter Cup match could safely go ahead despite Covid-19.
That escapade got Hartley, another ex-England skipper, thinking about social escapades from his own career and he delved into reminiscing about the infamous carry-on nine years ago at the World Cup in New Zealand which left Martin Johnson’s squad at the mercy of the media who went into overdrive and berated the English.
Appearing on the latest edition of the RugbyPass Offload show, Hartley didn’t hesitate in telling his version of a story that gained notoriety due to allegations that drunken England players were tossing dwarfs around a Queenstown pub during a night out at the finals where they went on to be eliminated at the quarter-final stage.
“It started with really good intentions,” said Hartley, casting his mind back to high jink that had repercussions for the public image of Johnson’s squad. “We had just won a game, we were in Queenstown to have downtime and we went to the pub.
EPISODE 4 of RUGBYPASS OFFLOAD #RPOffload
Citing commissioners??
Team socials ?
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“There was a free tab, it started really pleasant, a bit of team bonding, unwinding, but then things just escalate and your moral compass kind of goes. We bowled around the corner and it was a hostel with a very good bar attached to it. The funny thing is the Welsh and Irish teams had been there a couple of days earlier doing exactly what we were doing. There was a sign outside that said midget madness and we didn’t even see that, we just went to the busiest place.
“We went in there and there were some small people performing, dancing and we basically had a dance with them. There was no throwing whatsoever but being the England rugby team at a World Cup with a massive media following we got a lot of attention.
“He [Johnson] was good as gold. He basically said just make good decisions, but trying to make good decisions after a few pints is difficult. No one was hurt, it was just good fun but completely blown way out the water with the (Mike) Tindall link and the little people.
“It’s almost madness that no one in that (England) leadership group – but again it was a sign of the times – said after this (first) pub we’re probably going to go home boys. We were just left to our own devices to kick on and make our own fun. I doubt that would happen these days, especially in the height of a World Cup.”
Reflecting on last week’s controversy surrounding the Barbarians, Hartley added: “It’s just disappointing. It wasn’t their intention to do that. We needed the game. England needed the game as a warm-up, the RFU needed the game for revenue. General rugby community rugby public wanted the game and needed the game to lift spirits and whatnot, so it was disappointing it didn’t go ahead.
“It’s not like they considered it and did something malicious, it was fairly innocent. I imagine in that Baa-Baas camp the reputation and the stories that come with that team, a lot of it is built around the socialising element. They tried to water that right down and do something to bond but they breached their contract… like most things in life it started with good intentions and it probably got out of control.”
Fellow show host Ryan Wilson, the Glasgow and Scotland back row, revealed to Hartley that he was invited to join the Barbarians as the emergency unfolded but was told in no uncertain terms by Warriors coach Danny Wilson he was going nowhere.
“I got a phone call,” said Wilson. “Nathan Hines, who was doing the (Barbarians) forwards stuff, phoned me on Friday while I was travelling down to Ospreys. He said: ‘Mate, what are you up to at the weekend?’
“I said I have a game tomorrow. He said: ‘You keen to come straight to London and play?’ I was keen but imagine my coach, 80 minutes against Ospreys and then playing again the next day. I walked straight into Danny Wilson and said I’m playing for the Baa-Baas once we have played this game and he told me to f*** off straight away. I would have been keen to get down there but not to happen.”
'Coronavirus has really put the kibosh on the nights out and socialising outside the hotel'…
Barbarians lock Tim Swinson spoke to @heagneyl ???on what the team knew they could and couldn't do, and a whole lot more…https://t.co/3HyEUL7EUN
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 25, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
Havili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
7 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
7 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
61 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
7 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
61 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
55 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
61 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to comments