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Howley will join a rogues' gallery of other sportsmen if found guilty of breaching strict gambling regulations
Wales have sent home assistant coach Rob Howley from the World Cup in Japan for a potential breach of betting rules. If found guilty of any wrong-doing, the well-known rugby figure will join a rogues’ gallery of other sportsmen who have recently fallen foul of the strict regulations surrounding gambling.
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Barton banned
Midfielder Joey Barton was suspended from all football activity for 18 months during April 2017 after he admitted a misconduct charge from the Football Association related to betting.
Barton was fined £30,000 and warned about his future conduct after breaking FA rules for placing 1,260 bets on matches between March 26, 2006, and May 13, 2016.
Following an appeal, the sanction was later reduced by almost five months. Barton would go on to make a return to the game as the new head coach at Fleetwood in June 2018.
(Continue reading below…)
Bingham hit in the pocket
Former world champion Stuart Bingham was given a six-month suspension for breaching snooker’s betting regulations. Bingham, who won his title at the Crucible in 2015, was found to have placed bets of close to £36,000 on matches – some of which he was playing in – over a period of 12 years.
The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association said Bingham had admitted to a small amount of betting using two accounts in his own name but was actually guilty of “greater betting over at least seven years”.
Half of the ban was suspended, meaning Bingham was not allowed to play again until January 26, 2018, and was also ordered to pay £20,000 in costs.
Teenager Stevens sanctioned
Earlier this month, Leeds midfielder Jordan Stevens was given a six-week ban and a £1,200 fine after being charged with misconduct by the FA in relation to its betting rules. The 19-year-old admitted to placing 59 bets on football between August 2018 and May 2019 – five of those involved games in which Leeds played.
The ban is on all footballing activity which means Stevens is unable to train with Leeds during that period or interact with players or the coaching staff – a move the club has called “excessive” and a “disproportionate punishment”.
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Sturridge’s ‘insider information’
Former Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge was handed a two-week suspension from football and a £75,000 fine for breaching betting regulations.
An independent regulatory commission found that Sturridge, capped 26 times by England, had given his brother inside information on a possible move to Sevilla during the January 2018 transfer window.
Sent home from Japan, it appears as if Rob Howley's coaching career is in tatters following an alleged betting rules breachhttps://t.co/4M27IQrj1P
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 17, 2019
However, nine of the 11 charges were dismissed against Sturridge, who was free to resume his career on July 31 as four weeks of a six-week ban were suspended.
After his contract at Anfield expired this summer, the former Chelsea forward was a free agent and went on to sign a three-year deal for Turkish side Trabzonspor.
Stephenson pays a heavy price
Australian rules football handed out a 10-match ban to Collingwood star Jaidyn Stephenson and a 20,000 Australian Dollar (£11,350) fine for betting on games involving his club. Stephenson had been hit with a sanction of 22 matches, but 12 of those games were suspended.
It emerged the Magpies’ player had given money to a friend to place bets for him, and also once used a friend’s betting account. The total amount wagered was 36 AUS Dollars (£20) – all of which were unsuccessful.
Springboks assistant Matt Proudfoot gets put on the spot regarding Aphiwe Dyantyi's positive drugs test https://t.co/hf1Py0azOo
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 17, 2019
Who ate all the pies?
Former Sutton goalkeeper Wayne Shaw was fined £375 and suspended for two months for betting-related offences after being pictured eating a pie on the substitutes’ bench during the FA Cup fifth-round defeat to Arsenal in February 2017.
Shaw had been found guilty at an independent disciplinary hearing after he was alleged to have intentionally influenced betting markets. The goalkeeper tucked into the food as he watched the closing stages from the sidelines – with a bookmaker having offered odds on the likelihood of Shaw eating a pie during the match.
The incident caught widespread attention and quickly became known as ‘piegate’. Shaw, who was sacked by the club in the wakes of the controversy, later said he had suffered from depression.
– Press Association
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Comments on RugbyPass
Lets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
10 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
10 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to comments