Pitch invader held after confronting Billy Vunipola during lap of honour
Billy Vunipola was apparently confronted by a pitch invader following Saracens’ convincing win over Munster in their European Champions Cup semi-final at the Ricoh Arena.
A fan ran onto the pitch at the end of the match and appeared to confront Vunipola during the players’ lap of honour.
The pitch invader appeared to gesture to the Saracens player with his fingers.
A spokesperson for European Professional Club Rugby said: “EPCR does not condone the entry of a spectator to the field of play.
“Following the regrettable incident at the Ricoh Arena, the spectator in question is currently being detained by the stadium authorities.”
Billy Vunipola was confronted by a Munster fan on the pitch after the game.
Roundly booed by Munster fans throughout the game. pic.twitter.com/lhEQRELzhu
— Murray Kinsella (@Murray_Kinsella) April 20, 2019
Vunipola had been booed throughout the game after a week that saw him receive formal warnings from his club and the Rugby Football Union.
Two-time Champions Cup winners Saracens’ 32-16 triumph saw them through to a third European final in four seasons, with Leinster or Toulouse awaiting them in Newcastle next month.
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Vunipola added on BT Sport: “It is important we enjoy tonight, we will look to the final when it comes. We are back here next week and hopefully we can put out a performance we can be proud of.
“I am just excited as everyone else to watch tomorrow. Toulouse are an awesome team, they surprised a lot of people by beating Racing but we weren’t surprised.
“We know what Leinster bring. They have flair, structure and world-class players, so we look forward to playing another final and are just thankful to be there.”
"I believe in what I believe in. There was no intention to hurt anyone."
Billy Vunipola speaks after a Man of the Match performance. pic.twitter.com/aoE7wxeVQK
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) April 20, 2019
Vunipola spoke about the support he received from his Saracens team-mates following a difficult week.
Speaking after the semi-final victory, the England international said: “Behind closed doors I felt a lot of love, a lot of kindness shown to me. I am just very grateful to be part of this team.
“From my point of view, I believe in what I believe in. There was no intention to hurt anyone. I am just grateful to play.”
Saracens rugby director Mark McCall said he did not see the post-match incident, while a question on the matter to Munster boss Johann Van Graan at his press conference was blocked by one of Munster’s media team.
McCall said: “Billy was outstanding today, and so were all of his team-mates, to be honest.
“As a group, we were determined not to let this week pass us by because we work incredibly hard to be involved in weeks like this one, games like this one.
“And we ended up having a brilliant week, and you can see that in the performance today. You could see how tight we were.
“The club dealt with it (Vunipola social media posts). It’s been dealt with, it was dealt with decisively, it was dealt with quickly and it was dealt with, in my opinion, fairly.
“Then we just got on with the rugby, and that’s what we are here to do, get on with the rugby.
“I thought we played really well. Although the scoreboard said 12-9 at half-time, it didn’t feel like that.
“The thing that pleased me most was that the players understood that the scoreboard did not necessarily reflect how well we had played and what we were building towards.
“I was just really pleased with our intensity, which was relentless the whole game, and the control we had emotionally as well.”
A final against Leinster or Toulouse awaits for Saracens in Newcastle next month as the English outfit target a third Champions Cup title in four seasons.
Fly-half Owen Farrell was the architect of victory, kicking 22 points, while Vunipola and flanker Michael Rhodes touched down.
Despite wing Darren Sweetnam’s try, two Tyler Bleyendaal penalties, a long-range Conor Murray strike and JJ Hanrahan conversion, Munster suffered a seventh successive European semi-final defeat on their record 14th appearance in the competition’s penultimate knockout stage.
Van Graan added: “We came here to win, but we were beaten by a better side on the day.
“Sometimes you have just got to say well done to the opposition.
“They are unbeaten in this season’s tournament and have been playing some fantastic rugby, and you have got to concede that you weren’t as good as your opposition on the day.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Ben Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
86 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
14 Go to comments