Hooper backs de Glanville after Baa-baas breach ban
Bath Rugby director of rugby Stuart Hooper says Tom de Glanville has the full support of the club after an autumn of huge highs and significant lows.
The 20-year-old, pictured, was handed a two-week ban this week for his part in breaching the Covid-19 bubble which caused the Barbarians game against England in the autumn to be cancelled over safety fears.
The Bath man was one of 13 Barbarians players punished with bans and salary fines including former England captain Chris Robshaw.
The full-back has also been handed a fine equivalent of one week’s wages and will have to complete 50 hours of unpaid additional community work.
Hooper said: “My first reaction to him phoning me and telling me the news was supportive.
“He is a young man we care deeply about at this club.
“The important thing is we support him, acknowledge there were things done wrong by him and by others, but we support him.
“I have spoken to Tom a lot and he has reacted tremendously. He is a great young man with a big future and I think he was in a situation where if he could rewind time I am sure he would have done things differently, but the more important thing with Tom is he will absolutely learn from it and we need to support him through that process.
“He is a young man who was given an opportunity as a second year professional to go and play at Twickenham for the Barbarians, which is massive, after being named in the EPS [England senior training squad], so it is disappointing for him.
“He knows there is no further to look than himself but we are absolutely supportive.
“Tom is an outstanding young man and from minute one has taken responsibility for his actions, acknowledging that there were things that were done wrong by him and by others.
“He does not take this ruling lightly and knows to look no further than at himself to understand why this has happened. He has our full support and a huge career ahead of him. We will be by his side every step of the way.”
Tom is of course the son of Bath Rugby royalty.
His father Phil de Glanville captained the club during a golden era which included a league and cup double in 1996 as well as Heineken Cup glory in 1998.
In total he played 189 times for Bath over a 12-year career, scoring 53 tries and also captained England.
As part of the ruling in the Barbarians case, Tom de Glanville, who has started in the 15 jersey for Bath’s first three games of the season, also had an additional three week ban suspended, meaning he will only serve those weeks should he transgress again for an off-field offence within one year of this judgement being published.
The three three-week suspended suspension was reduced from six weeks as a result of the players’ timely acceptance of culpability and other mitigation.
Along with young Saracens duo Joel Kpoku and Manu Vunipola, de Glanville was given a more lenient sentence because of his age.