Give Howley another shot at coaching
HE HAS LEARNT LESSON FROM BETTING BREACH SAYS DAVIES
JONATHAN DAVIES has urged rugby to give Rob Howley a second chance when his ban for betting on the sport ends this month.
Howley, who starred for Wales and the Lions before going on to coach both, has spoken movingly about how blaming himself for the death of his sister led him to gamble on matches in contravention of strict rugby regulations.
“It was all about escaping from my dark thoughts,” he said. “It was never about the money. Never. It gave me an escape. A reason to forget.”
Howley’s nine-month ban – for placing 363 bets on matches, including Wales games – ends on June 16 and he is eager to get back involved in the sport.
Davies, 57, who partnered the scrum-half for club and country, insists he deserves another shot.
“Everyone likes a flutter but when you get involved in sport you can’t do it,” said the cross-code legend turned BBC pundit, above. “Rob was caught and he knows how stupid he was.
“But he’s definitely learned his lesson and I hope he can put it behind him and be given an opportunity.
With the calibre of his CV, I’d think he would be. His work ethic is second to none.”
Howley, 49, lost the chance to become Italy head coach when he was busted on the eve of the World Cup in September and sent home from Japan.
Wasps, with whom he won a European Cup, reached out to him before Christmas about returning to work with Dai Young but his former Wales team-mate has since left and been replaced.
And with the game in crisis and a report yesterday revealing that Wales’ four professional teams face a fight for survival with funding from the Welsh Rugby Union set to drop from £26million to under £3m over the next year, club jobs will be hit.
Before the investigation into his betting began, Howley had taken responsibility for his own actions and started three months of therapy with a clinical psychologist. “When the chips are down you find out who your friends are,” said Davies. “I don’t know where or when he’ll return, but he’s paid the price and he deserves a second chance.”