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England prop courts controversy with social media posts on latest UK lockdown measures
England prop Alec Hepburn has courted controversy after criticising the UK government over the imminent return to Tier 4 lockdown for certain areas of the country, claiming that the regime were using ‘force and coercion to manipulate the public into compliance’.
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Hepburn’s Instagram post divided opinions, with plenty lending their support to the post, while others condemned it.
View this post on Instagram
“As someone who plays sport for a living I feel my opinion is no better or worst than those of any other walks of life. I voice my opinion privately to friends and family but often choose not to publicly. I feel strongly on the issue regarding tonight’s announcements and the policies implemented throughout 2020. Speaking as a citizen of the United Kingdom, I feel these orders by decree, placing unjustified duress on many is tantamount to abuse on the British public.
“This government uses force and coercion to manipulate the public into compliance. The public is talked down to, the public is blamed for increases in restrictions and the public is emotionally blackmailed with compliance or you will be killing people. This government does not represent the great values of this great nation, being freedom and individual liberty.
“There is no higher claim to one’s safety than that of the individual, only you can negotiate the trials and tribulations of life and the risk it presents to yourself. I write this not to merely share an opinion on the matter but encourage others to think critically and evaluate the role of government and the bad precedents being set,” the Exeter Chiefs’ prop concluded.
Fellow England and Exeter Chiefs’ player Jack Nowell was among a number of players who supported the sentiment and himself to took to Twitter to post: “Sacrifice your summer to save Christmas” with a Pinocchio emoji:
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“Sacrifice your summer to save Christmas” 🤥
— Jack Nowell (@nowellsy15) December 19, 2020
It was not a view shared by everyone. Scotland scrum-half took the polar opposite views on the matter: “Bet 98% of the people moaning about going back to tier 4 are the same people that are going against the guidance anyway and wonder why nothing is improving. We’re all fed up but the virus can’t keep spreading if we just keep to ourselves. #rocketscience”
https://twitter.com/AlistairPrice/status/1340362859302313985
Comments on RugbyPass
Pls get it into your thick arrogant heads that the final was played by two Southern Hemisphere teams. The best against the best and that Argentina was just unlucky otherwise non of the Northetn Hemisphere teams would have seen the light of day.
124 Go to commentsAs long as New Zealand youth are involved in sport they are passionate for, and are well supported, it’s all good. I love league as well as rugby. NRL clubs have long since scouted the First 15 competitions, the NH and Japan scout super rugby and NPC. It’s a miracle there’s any players left for the all blacks to pick from.
4 Go to commentsI'm a Bok fan, so I don't say this lightly, but he is one of my all time favourite players. I am really going to miss watching him play. Thanks for many great memories. You are a true legend of the game.
3 Go to commentsBest way to deal with all of this is to play another game.
124 Go to commentsIt’s 12-15 games Luke. Ringrose has barely played in 2024 and Henshaw and Keenan have also been out for spells in the same time period. There are always injuries and for younger players to play with the likes of Barrett will be great for them. It’s just looking for negatives where there are none.
5 Go to commentsAndy Goode pushing his own agenda with very dubious considerations on refereeing performances. Luke Pearce speaking a bit of French doesn’t make him a good and adequate referee for the Champions Cup final; his latest refereeing performance in particular was not so great.
4 Go to commentsJordie knows that he has to earn the right to put on the jersey, whatever that jersey might be.
5 Go to commentsThe best outside centre in the world at one point. He will be greatly missed.
3 Go to commentsYip his great for the big moments when needed as a safa really enjoy watching him
4 Go to commentsOne that will start to come up from now on is penalties for back pushes during kick chase scrambles. Very difficult to detect. In Croke Park if you replay the Hendy NH try, you will see Furbank push Porter in the back, who collides with Larmour knocking the ball across into Hendy’s path to dot down. A more significant example was in the RWC QTR final where Arendse pushes Fickou into two other French players for the ball to spill into Arendse’s path for him to gather and run in to score SAs first try. Not cheating if you are not caught and very difficult to spot but with kicking becoming so critical I feel its an area that will referreeed/TMO-ed more.
4 Go to commentsWhat a pathetic little twit Andy Goode is, as if we care what he thinks…..😂
124 Go to commentsFoxy has been a wonderful player for the Scarlets and Wales.
3 Go to commentsNika the Georgian is the best referee in the world at the moment. Luckily we will be spared the shite SH refs and Barnes will hopefully remain retired given how shite and embarrassing he was at the RWC.
4 Go to commentsThis is the most exciting game of the summer imo, as we really won’t know in advance how both teams are going to play. - Will Robertson just reproduce his Crusaders tactics from last year, or will there be a conscious effort to borrow from the Hurricanes and Blues, and from the aspects of the ABs world cup strategy that worked well? - England under Borthwick have put in some good performances playing attacking rugby, and some good performances playing kick-oriented defensive rugby. Will Borthwick try to merge them together into a single all-court game, or will he continue switching between different approaches depending on the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition?
1 Go to commentsI’m predicting an aggregate points difference of no more than +/-10pts across both matches this series.
1 Go to commentsI’m predicting an aggregate points difference of no more than +/-10pts across both matches this series.
9 Go to commentsFinals are always tense affairs for the players so I do not expect this to be a spectacle of running rugby unfortunately.
4 Go to commentsBulls***': Ex-England international calls out Eben Etzebeth… Not to his face but from very far away… after he’d left. Checked to make sure he wasn’t in the building.
124 Go to commentsHopefully this will mean a new Auckland league team to support in the west. Big Warriors fan but it’s very, very stale on that front and I’d like the option of another team if it was to watch league again. League needs to step up BIG time if its to get anywhere, another AK team and something from the capitol or south is a must for the game.
4 Go to commentsGood, deep interview, nice job Frankie!
1 Go to comments