Haskell criticises Cipriani's 'trial by social media'
James Haskell has urged people to move on from Danny Cipriani’s conviction for common assault and resisting arrest in Jersey last week. His former Wasps teammate attended a Rugby Football Union (RFU) disciplinary hearing on Wednesday where he was found guilty of “conduct prejudicial to the interests of the game”, but escaped a ban and was given a warning over his future conduct.
Haskell says the furore around the incident has highlighted why players must remain “whiter than whiter” when socialising in public.
Gloucester and The Rugby Players’ Association had both been critical of the RFU’s decision to proceed with an RFU hearing Cipriani. The fly-half was fined £2,000 and ordered to pay a female police officer £250 by Jersey Magistrates’ Court, and subsequently docked an identical amount and instructed to complete 10 hours of community service following an internal investigation by his club.
But in the lead-up to the RFU hearing Haskell stopped short of criticising the union, but agreed that column inches and social media noise had prolonged the episode. “All these people who charge people are far better placed than me (to decide),” he said.
“If you do something – I make more mistakes than most, and have had my experiences with it – you have to deal with the consequences of it. But it is best to move on as there is a lot more to life than Danny Cipriani.
“I have spoken to him and he is good and looking forward to playing and I have been very impressed with how supportive Gloucester have been. It is unfortunate that when you have a profile, everything is times one million.”
Haskell believes that, much like the reaction to England cricketer Ben Stokes’ affray trial, outrage was stirred on social media by commentators, ex-players and fans who did not have the full facts.
“It’s just the oldest case of trial by social media,” he said. “Professional sport brings out the best and worst of people. We go mad at people chasing and hitting balls and get fired up about it and people put so much into it – Stokes was a great example – people were ready to throw him under the bus and it was the same with Danny.
“People love to hate him, but I know him as a good hard-woking guy and it is time to move on. It was time to move on an hour after the court case – but a few ex players and coaches threw him under the bus for easy headlines.”
However, while he is keen for rugby to move on from the Cipriani incident, Haskell does believe that players need to understand that they are under increased scrutiny due to the prevalence of social media.
“I think you’ve just got to understand that we live in a world now of the stitch-up, we live in the world of the easy win, we live in the world that everyone’s a paparazzi, everyone’s recording everything,” he said.
“You’ve just got to be whiter than white and don’t put yourself in those positions. But also, like Tiger Woods, don’t sell yourself as the perfect man because all you’ve got is a longer way to fall.
“Best just to be reasonably honest, because if you pretend to be something you’re not you’re going to be swiftly caught out.”
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Haskell added: “You’ve got a responsibility as a player to understand that people look up to you
“You’ve got the responsibility to do things, and I just think that everyone wants to catch you out now. That’s what I believe, and I think you have to be very concerned about how you conduct yourself in public, where you would go, what you would do.
“I’m a nobody, so God knows what actual famous people have to think about.”
The England flanker is an avid user of social media, but admitted he is cautious not to post anything that may show him with alcohol, especially during the season.
Haskell also revealed that he and fiancee, Chloe Madeley, have been joined by uninvited guests when out for dinner, while one over-zealous fan pushed him close to the edge at a university DJ gig when he refused to let go of his hand after shaking it.
“I try to be quite accommodating because we’re very privileged to have a situation where people actually want to have a photo with you,” he said. “But some people get a little bit carried away and grab you and push you and tap you and poke you and stuff, and you’re like ‘could you please not do that?’”
Northampton face Gloucester on the opening weekend of the Gallagher Premiership season, and with Cipriani and South African imports including Jaco Kriel and Franco Mostert on board, Haskell has been impressed with the Cherry and Whites’ recruitment.
“I think they’re having a re-birth,” he said. “They’ve signed a lot of quality players, they’re going to want to bring that physical edge, certainly with the South Africans involved and Danny pulling the strings in attack and the other good players that they’ve got.
“They are going to be dangerous, but tell me a team that isn’t looking dangerous.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Well done Baby Boks we will take the Draw. No 9 senseless long passes in those conditions. let’s move on and hope for some good weather
3 Go to commentsHow did it end a draw. South Africa didn’t score any points as far as I can see
3 Go to commentsNo doubt this will be a fantastic occasion and I plan to be there, but I think the bean counters have won out over the rugby brains. In my opinion, it is foolhardy to give the Black Ferns the experience of playing in front of 60,000+ at Twickenham a year before they might be playing there in a World Cup Final. Better to play France at Twickenham and Black Ferns at Kingsholm. The difference in takings would be miniscule.
1 Go to commentsDom kant
193 Go to commentsBen is a little incel desperately trying to stir the pot and stay relevant. We used to get mad at his articles. Now we just feel sorry for him
193 Go to commentsPerhaps we may need to put an asterisk on NZ’s ‘87 WC win since the Boks weren’t there. You know, just as a reminder. Poor Ben Smith. Go cry somewhere else.
193 Go to commentsNz should have won. I didn't watch the game, but the ref was at fault and the bounce of the ball and the Bokke used the Bomb squad and the Bokke slow the game down and the Bokke scrum. They should remove the scrum. The Bokke are to strong. Not fair. Nz should have won
2 Go to commentsThanks for a much more balanced piece Ned and not that BS that Bin Smuth just posted a short while ago. read this article and then Bin Smuth’s and tell me there isn’t a huge difference🙄
2 Go to commentsWere the Baby Boks part of this game or did the Baby Blacks play themselves?🤔 That man Bin Smuth once again does a little write-up on the game and it is like 95% about the Baby Blacks🤣 Glad he ends off with the Baby Blacks were actually in cruise control for most of the game and weren’t actually playing for the win WTF🤣🤣 Maybe he was expecting the Baby Blacks to run rampant….
3 Go to commentsOne does not expect anything more from Ben Smith who epitomises the worst of New Zealand media arrogance and an inability to balance what he has to say about any team that beats the All Blacks. His reference to context is pathetically thin. He does not comment that Frizell deserved a red card given his blatant manipulation of his body to ensure that he could drop his body weight onto Mbonambi’s lower leg. No mention of the ball lost forward before the All Black’s try (lost in-field of the 5 metre line and gathered beyond). The All Black commitment and effort was superb and there was little in it. Given the Springbok passage to the final and the loss of their hooker in the first three minutes, their resolve and capacity to win their fourth final out of eight attempts (not three out of ten) deserves the praise that has been forthcoming from media around the world, worth reading and listening to. Ben should join his “pundit” friends on TV - he would fit in well. This sort of article reduces any credibility Rugby Pass has ever had. Why persist with this sort of nonsense? The man does his country and a rugby blog a disservice.
193 Go to commentsEtzebeth went on to say: “I would never dream of saying that systems stay in place following a change in captain. To say that would be deeply, deeply, disrespectful of Siya. A while back an Irish person told me they would be fine without Sexton, so I’m just responding to that.”
3 Go to commentsClose games are what we want to see…. What a match it was…. I am sure that everyone was drained by the end of it. The reality of it all there has to be a winner and a loser. The fact that we still talking about it is almost 6 months to the day Rugby is the winner.. Asante sana… Here is to 2027 and what it will bring out.
193 Go to commentsIt’s going to be a good game. COYQ
1 Go to comments“Shock”, the guy was casually saying he was just slightly surprised. Nowadays if you say anything it gets taken completely out of context. Calm down everyone.
156 Go to commentsAll I can say after reading this bitter, sour, sad piece is… Thank you very much! This will be read in the change room just before kick off on 31 August…
193 Go to commentsLook, we know contradicting opinions and wacky comments bring readers and clicks, so well done to RP for allowing always-wrong-Ben to say something here. However RP needs to put a disclaimer next to his comments for their own credibility. NZ was and is incapable of acknowledging their opp beating them. They refused so with Ire and with Arg in 2022 and also the Boks in 2023 x 2. Nothing Ben says here holds water, NZ attacked backwards, except when Kolisi and Kolbe was off And cyncialy took out Bongi, we played without lineouts for 75mins. Kolisi and Kurt-Lee almost scored twice. Thats 3 vs 2 for Boks, but the Boks opportunities was legal. Boks should have been 16-3 up by half time. Tacticaly the Boks attacked better defended better scrummed better (without a hooker) kicked better and crossed the whitewash more times. Boks beat Fr Eng Nz to win in 23, comeon give some credit at least. Even Federer Verstappen NY Mets, Mamoa, was able to see a great human sport achievement by the Boks and their DNA Boks #RWC27 !🏉
193 Go to commentsForget the 85kg bit, that can become something else. However I do like the one off test on ANZAC day idea. SR plays Fri/ Sat, test players travel Sunday and the squads have the full week together before playing Saturday. Rest of SR has a week off. Either involve women's teams in same location or in the other country and rotate annually. Herbert is right in that change is needed.
3 Go to commentsI’ve read loads of nonsense before but this article takes the cake. Or perhaps someone changed the date for April Fool's Day.
3 Go to commentsReally Rugbypass? Ben Smith I think you forgot what the Springboks did to the All Blacks at Twickenham 8 weeks earlier? Springboks 35 All Blacks 7. There is alot of ifs and buts in your article. The All Blacks threw the sink at the Springboks and unfortunately they were not good enough regardless if they played with 14 men or not. It was the Springboks who forced the All Blacks to make mistakes! Sorry but not Sorry the Springboks is the best ever Rugby World Cup Nation in the world. 4 Cups baby!
193 Go to commentsYou just backed the Boks with that fantastic review! Well done! Have some cake!
193 Go to comments