Fiji Rugby Union chairman Francis Kean has resigned from the world body's council, amid allegations of homophobia and discrimination.
Kean, a key supporter of World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont and his re-election campaign, has also been withdrawn from the upcoming elections for a place on the organisation's executive committee.
The Daily Mail has revealed that Pacific Rugby Players Welfare chief executive Daniel Leo, an ex-Samoa skipper, is considering writing to the International Olympic Committee to ask for rugby to be suspended from the Olympics.
Leo is calling for an investigation into Kean and the unions which supported his nomination, as well as stronger vetting processes to avoid a similar situation.
“We are taking advice from our lawyers about a letter we are drafting,” the report quotes Leo.
“I’m disappointed that World Rugby haven’t launched an open investigation into Kean and France for nominating him.
“If World Rugby don’t commit to governance reforms, our next letter will be to the International Olympic Committee, asking that they consider suspending rugby as an Olympic sport until they are fully compliant with IOC obligations.
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“If it takes some short-term pain, i.e. being blocked from the Olympics, then so be it. But hopefully the sport can be proactive in this before that would happen.
“We have to push through now and make sure the lessons are learned and, most importantly, acted upon.”
Rugby only returned to the Olympics in 2016 after more than nine decades in exile – though this time in the form of Sevens.
Fiji coincidentally won gold in the men’s tournament, while Australia claimed victory in the women’s competition.
LIST | 5 of the biggest scandals in rugby history!
Rugby Union has had its fair share of controversial moments down the years. Here we look at five of the most memorable...
1. KAMP STAALDRAAD
It was a military-style "boot camp" organized as a "team building" exercise for the South African national rugby union team, the Springboks (or Boks), during their preparation for the 2003 Rugby World Cup (RWC). Details of the camp emerged in the South African media, resulting in protest from the upper administrative levels of South African rugby.
- The team was ordered to climb into a foxhole naked and sing the national anthem while ice-cold water were being poured over their heads. During their time in the hole, recordings of (used as England's national anthem) and the New Zealand All Blacks haka were played at full volume.
- It was confirmed that firearms were present at the camp, although reports varied as to whether they were ever pointed at anyone.
- The players were forced to crawl naked across gravel.
- They also were ordered to spend a night in the bush, during which they were to kill and cook chickens, but not eat them.
2. HARLEQUINS - BLOODGATE
During the quarter-final of the 2009 Heineken Cup against Leinster, Harlequins wing Tom Williams came off the field with what turned out to be a faked blood injury in order to facilitate a tactical substitution for Nick Evans to re-enter the field having gone off earlier injured.
An investigation by the ERC and the RFU revealed that blood injuries had also been faked by Harlequins to enable tactical substitutions on four previous occasions. These findings resulted in a twelve-month ban for Williams (reduced to 4 months on appeal), a three-year ban for former director of rugby Dean Richards and a two-year ban for physiotherapist Steph Brennan as well as a £260,000 fine for the club.
3 THE PLAYER AND THE PRINCESS
Former England captain Will Carling did little for both his clean cut image and the name of rugby when he hit the headlines in mid- 1990s after allegedly having a romantic relationship with Princess Diana. Divorce between Carling and his wife Julia followed and it wasn’t long before the tabloids were dubbing the ex-Harlequins man a love rat.
4. BRUISER BRENNAN BELTS A FAN
In 2007 Toulouse's Irish forward Trevor Brennan overstepped the mark in a classic case of the red mist during a Heineken Cup clash with Ulster. After some reported chanting that his pub in Toulouse, De Danu was ‘a load of rubbish’ from a contingent of Ulster fans, the fiery forward took it upon himself to interrupt his warm-up and enter the stand, where he rained a series of punches down on one supporter. Brennan was banned for life and fined £17,000 for the assault.
5. DALLAGLIO'S DRUGS STING
In 1999 Lawrence Dallaglio resigned the England captaincy following newspaper allegations that he had taken and dealt hard drugs. Dallaglio categorically denied the claims made in the News of the World. Dallaglio added: “The circumstances in which the supposed admissions were obtained amounted to an elaborate set-up.”
But editor Phil Hall said: “We stand by our story. Lawrence Dallaglio is damned in his own words and frankly, we are amazed at his denial.”
The RFU dropped drugs charges against Dallaglio after ‘new evidence’ emerged during an open hearing chaired by a high court judge who decided not to ban him but instead imposed a fine of £15,000 for bringing the game into disrepute.
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- Jordie Barrett over Damian de Allende is far from being correct. The hype around Dupont is also overreaching, he's probably 4th in the world and has been since the 2023 WC. He also avoids certain matchups which is strange. The rest of the list is pretty good apart from minor subjective biases.JasonMarlow16-09-2026
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