Rugby World Cup stars ‘must ban booze’

RFU CHIEF DENIES PROBLEMS AS 2003 HERO ROBINSON CALLS FOR BOOZE BAN AT WORLD CUP

RUGBY Football Union chief executive Ian Ritchie today dismissed claims England have serious di sc iplinar y problems, despite the fact Manu Tuilagi and Dylan Hartley were dumped from the squad and Danny Cipriani was arrested on suspicion of drink-driving following a car crash.

Ritchie’s comments came as England World Cup winner and Standard columnist Jason Robinson claimed the players should agree to a booze ban during the tournament to have any chance of winning it.

Cipriani is still part of the squad while out on bail but Tuilagi has been thrown out until January following his assault conviction, while Hartley was omitted following his latest suspension for head-butting Jamie George during a match.

Speaking with England World Cup winner Jonny Wilkinson at the ‘100 days to go’ launch at Twickenham today, Ritchie said: “I don’t think there is an underlying problem and anybody who has been involved with the England camp since Stuart Lancaster has been involved will know what the culture is and there is no issue.

“I don’t see it as a challenge at all. All the players recognise their responsibilities in this important year. It is the ultimate in terms of our sport and it is helpful to remind people and the squad recognises this. I don’t think anything that has happened dilutes that at all.

“It is sad that the opportunity of a lifetime is going to be missed by some of the players but the focus must be on who is in the squad.”

Wilkinson said: “There is no doubt that camera phones mean that rather than being caught doing something it can be a case of interpretation — what people read into what you may do.

“This is an opportunity of a lifetime and it’s not too much to ask to hold it together for six weeks.”

Wilkinson’s former international team-mate Robinson, who will be writing exclusively for the Standard throughout the World Cup, says a booze ban would be a small price to pay during the competition.

He added: “You would like to think that after the storms that have hit the England squad already, the players would be banned from anything to do with alcohol.

“The two off-the-field incidents and one on it involving England highlights the players have a responsibility and if it means they have to wait six weeks to let their hair down, then so be it.”