Conor can’t keep injury riddle secret

WHEN the question came about the Conor Murray mystery, it was dismissed once again. ‘I can’t comment on Conor,’ said Johann van Graan, Munster’s director of rugby, after his side had been beaten by Leinster in Dublin.

There have been several such awkward exchanges already this season because Murray has asked for details about his state of fitness to remain classified.

Irish rugby is gripped by feverish speculation about his condition, while social media is awash with murky conspiracy theories.

The scrum-half is one of the country’s leading players. He is a Test Lion and acclaimed as the best player in the world in his position. So he understands his value and is taking action to protect it. Munster and Ireland refuse to clarify what is wrong with him or how long it will take to fix it.

There is a vague understanding that Murray may have a neck problem, but no one is confirming that. Murray is citing his right to patient confidentiality, but it has prompted a debate about where the line should be drawn, in terms of privacy for a public figure.

At a time when he is negotiating a new contract, the 29-year- old has opened up a moral maze.

As Munster and the Irish RFU pay his lavish salary, they must surely have the right to insist doctor-patient confidentiality is superseded by a sporting organisation’s duty to inform its public.

It is the public who ultimately pay the wages, by buying tickets or merchandise or paying television subscriptions. In effect, their investment makes them shareholders in a team and their players. As shareholders, they are quite entitled to know if a leading figure within the organisation is likely to participate any time soon.

Murray (right) and other Irish players benefit from tax rebates at the end of their careers, placing an even greater onus on them to accept interest in their state-funded careers.

Murray is a box- office talisman for Munster and Ireland. The province’s ‘Red Army’ of travelling fans might be more likely to book a trip to Exeter for next weekend’s Heineken Champions Cup if they thought Murray would be playing — less so if he’s not, such is his importance. Likewise, Murray’s involvement or not would have a bearing on ticket sales for the Ireland v Italy fixture to be staged in Chicago next month, or their home match against the United States a few weeks later. This is emerging as a test case, with potentially profound repercussions. If Murray is allowed to maintain his secrecy unchallenged by his province or union, it will very soon become a global trend. If there is nothing untoward occurring, and employers do extensive fitness testing anyway, there is no reason to hide. And how can it be better for Murray to subject himself to some dangerous gossip, rather than clarify his condition? Rugby often trumpets the need for transparency. This is pretty fundamental stuff. Who is available to play? If a star is unavailable, why is that? The shareholders are entitled to know.