'People think I leaked that video" - Rassie Erasmus breaks his silence after ban
Rugby NewsSunday, 06 March 2022 at 05:52
South Africa's director of rugby Rassie Erasmus was banned from all rugby activity for two months after being found guilty of misconduct.
World Rugby charged Erasmus for his behaviour towards match officials during the British and Irish Lions series this summer.
Six charges have now been upheld.
“An independent misconduct committee has found that behaviour displayed by SA Rugby Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus towards match officials during this year’s test series between South Africa and the British and Irish Lions constituted misconduct,” a statement from World Rugby said.
However, now Erasmus has broken his silence on the controversial ban and video he made but insists he didn't post..
'I want people to know that I'm not this monster that I've been portrayed as,' he revealed to the Mail Online.
''Listen, I have never been a suit-and-tie guy who claims to be a saint, I have never said I will be a life coach. I have never had slogans like 'better people make better rugby players'. I have never said I'm the world's greatest father. Yeah, I've always been a bit naughty and enjoyed a giggle but I've always been an honest guy.
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'People think I leaked that video. I didn't. Who leaks something like that? Why would I screw up my whole career to do that? I've got twin girls, 18 years old, who are at school and they hear other parents telling them how their dad had f***** it all up.
'My mum is at an old-age home and they're showing her articles saying, "Rassie's lost it, he's got depression, he's drunk". They think those things because they are indoctrinated that I leaked that video. I want to tell the world that, swearing on my youngest child's life, I did not leak that video.
'Many people have already made up their mind. How do you change people's perception when World Rugby have found me guilty and banned me for 12 months? I don't want people to feel sorry for me. I just want them to know what really happened.'
5 of the biggest scandals in rugby history following Rassie Erasmus ban
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.
CONTINUES ON PAGE 5
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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