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Former England centre 'stepped down immediately' after shameful video goes viral

By Ian Cameron
Joel Tomkin during the England training session in 2013.

Former Saracens and England international Joel Tomkins has been suspended by Rugby League side Wigan Warriors pending an investigation after a shameful video of the player went viral over the weekend.

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The video shows Tomkins and his brother Sam refusing to leave a Wigan bar, before becoming verbally and physically abusive to staff.


Wigan released a statement this afternoon on the matter:

“Following a video appearing on social media over the weekend, Joel Tomkins has been stepped down immediately from team selection for 4 weeks.

“During this period further investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident will take place, as will discussions regarding Joel’s long-term future at the Club. He has been fined £10,000.
Sam Tomkins has been fined £5,000.

Executive Director Kris Radlinski commented:

“I was pretty disgusted at the video that I saw on Saturday evening. Our players know and fully understand the role that they have to play within the community and to see two of our high profile, senior players behave in such a way, disappointed me greatly.

“They aren’t just role models for the young kids in the town, they’re role models for the younger players in the squad. It is impossible to put a strong culture in place if players you trust to drive those standards act in such a way.

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“All players are allowed periods of downtime but know that they must act responsibly and in a manner fitting of a professional sportsman.

“Having spoken to both Joel and Sam this morning they both expressed shame and regret about their behaviour and the effects it has had on all of the individuals concerned. Both of them are fully aware that they have disrespected the Club and the town – and let themselves and their families down.”

“The Club will be making no further comment upon this matter until the full investigation has been completed.”

Tomkins won 3 caps for England during a brief stint in Rugby Union.

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J
Jon 9 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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