Plymouth Albion left stunned by £20k fine and huge points reduction

Tuesday, 28 July 2020 at 13:23

bySteven Smith

The RFU have confirmed that Plymouth Albion will start next season with a points disadvantage as part of their punishment for what they call a ‘highly negligent and inaccurate declaration’ in relation to payment of players.

The charge stems from the 2018/9 season when Albion were asked to submit a form declaring what payments were made to players during the campaign.

According to Dave Venables, whose family own the club, the points deduction was supposed to have been taken into account in 2019/20, but wasn’t due to the campaign ending prematurely due to the outbreak of Covid-19. Instead, the RFU will carry it over to the 2020/21 season.

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"Sadly the RFU appear culturally and spiritually illiterate" Plymouth Albion owner Dave Venables writes scalding letter to RFU after being issued with hefty points deduction and £20,000 sanctions for 'ticking the wrong box' in admin document therugbypaper.co.uk/latest-news/37…

11:37 AM · Jul 28, 2020

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Defending his son Max, who was responsible for the initial box-ticking error, Venables wrote in an open letter: "I am both disappointed and ashamed by the actions, attitude and position the RFU and the members of the disciplinary committee have taken over this issue," wrote

“It was no more than an innocent clerical error made by a ‘rookie’ administrator who has worked tirelessly to turn around a club from struggling for survival to a happy, friendly and hospitable club in addition to a profit-making business in its own right.

“Quite why the disciplinary panel, including a Silk, would see fit to have a need to go as far as to impose punishment on a member club for an inconsequential administrative error escapes me.

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“Indeed, it flies in the face of the ethos, nature and character that once epitomised Rugby Union.”

Venables added: “It occurs to me that the disciplinary committee have behaved with a level of Dickensian authoritarian arrogance.

“Imposing the deduction of 20 points in addition to withholding the much needed £20,000 travel support grant is akin to strapping a medieval soldier to a gun carriage wheel and whipping him, in-front of his company, simply for failing to polish all his tunic buttons!”

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LIST | 4 rugby superstars who MASSIVELY underachieved on Lions tours

Despite being built up to play starring roles for the British & Irish Lions, sometimes it simply doesn't work out...

1. Stuart Hogg (Scotland) - 2017

After touring with the Lions in Australia four years previously, the Scotland fullback was tipped to be one of Warren Gatland's key men when they faced the All Blacks in 2017.

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However, starting against NZ Provincial Barbarians in the tour opener, Hogg was given a four out of 10 after he made 'many errors' and butchered a simple try scoring pass to Anthony Watson in a poor display.

One week later, despite a much improved opening 20 minutes, Hogg was injured after being caught by the elbow of team-mate Conor Murray in an accidental collision, with the superstar departing the tour before the start of the Test Matches.

More down to the pre-tour hype than his poor performance alone, this was so disappointing.

2. Jason Robinson (England) - 2005

Robinson was chosen for the 2001 British and Irish Lions tour to Australia, and was one of the outstanding players in the side that won the first Test in Brisbane 29–13. In that game he sidestepped past Australian fullback Chris Latham. He went on to score another try in the last Test.

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Four years later, with Robinson playing a key role as England won the 2003 Rugby World Cup, the speedster was tipped to be a key cog for Woodward once again. He was somewhat the face of the promotional campaign for the your, appearing on awful merchandise such as this.

However, having joined the tour late to attend the birth of his fifth child, something just didn't seem right. Robinson, who usually always travelled with his full family was forced to jet across to the other side of the world alone. Playing in two of the three tests, he never looked close to his best and he's admitted he still 'has nightmares' about the tour.

Distraught from the experience, Robinson actually retired from test rugby before changing his mind to play for England once again in the 2007 Six Nations before playing a key role in their journey to the World Cup final that same year.

3. Will Carling (England) - 1993

The legendary England captain's career included the 1993 British Lions tour to New Zealand. He underachieved on that tour, a pattern attributed by coach Ian McGeechan and manager Geoff Cooke as at least partly due to his failing to secure the captaincy (this instead going to Gavin Hastings of Scotland) but also due in large part to the ascendency in the centre of both Jeremy Guscott and Scott Gibbs of Wales.

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McGeechan and Cooke disclosed that Carling came close to voluntarily withdrawing from the squad; he did however recover his test place and played a notable role in the third test. McGeechan commented in his autobiography that Carling's failure to rise to the occasion as a Lion (in contrast to Guscott) may be seen by some as the difference between his legacy as a good player and a great player.

4. Brian O'Driscoll (Ireland) - 2005

By no fault of his own.

O'Driscoll appeared in all three British and Irish Lions Tests on the team's 2001 tour of Australia where he announced himself as a world star with an outstanding individual try in the 1st Test victory at the Gabba in Brisbane.

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Four years later, the centre was named captain of the team for their 2005 tour of New Zealand. O'Driscoll's playing contribution to the 2005 Lions ended in the opening minutes of the first Test against the All Blacks in Christchurch on 25 June 2005, when he was carried off the field on a stretcher with a shoulder injury just after being spear tackled in tandem by All Blacks skipper Tana Umaga and Keven Mealamu after the ball had been cleared out of a ruck. The incident is better known now as 'Speargate'.

Although not Irishman's fault, to lose a superstar so early was gutting for supporters. He'd go onto make up for it, representing and starring for the tourists in another two tours.