Diamond insists player welfare was his priority
STEVE Diamond is unrepentant about Worcester’s decision to cancel the Premiership match against Gloucester at Kingsholm in March because all their tighthead props were either ill or injured.
The matter was referred to an independent panel which ruled that Worcester did not take sufficient steps to get loan props to fulfil the fixture and awarded Gloucester five points.
Gloucester said the cancellation cost them £250,000. The panel did not consider the issue of compensation and the two clubs have been left to sort it out themselves.
Diamond said he disputed the panel’s finding that Worcester had not pulled out enough stops to find a loan prop and ensure the fixture went ahead, pointing out that the issue of safety was never raised.
“We went on a WhatsApp group asking if any club had a prop they could loan us and only one replied,” said Diamond, Worcester’s lead rugby consultant. “Maybe I should have rung every director of rugby personally, but if someone had called me the day before a game and said they were short because of an outbreak of Covid and another virus, I would have said no.
“If people think you can ring up another club the day before a match or on it and expect him to give you one of his props at a time in the season when injuries are at their worst, they are kidding themselves.
“Gloucester offered us one of their tighthead props, but that was never a starter because of the potential ramifications: it was not something their rivals for a play-off place would have endorsed.
“What I was not prepared to do was go down the leagues. The last thing you want is to put a young kid up against an international front row. If he ends up with a broken neck, whose watch is that on?
“I get accused by journalists of not having player welfare at the forefront of everything, but when I do I get pulled from pillar to post. I was depressed by the panel’s findings because we did everything right yet we were chastised. You live and learn.”
Diamond also pointed out that Worcester offered to replay the game on another day or go ahead with uncontested scrums to ensure Gloucester did not lose out financially.
“I asked Gloucester and Premiership Rugby but were told that the regulations did not allow for either of them,” said Diamond. “I would rather have the rules bent or manipulated than have an inexperienced prop break his neck. The powers that be do not see it that way.
“What happened with Covid was unprecedented and it is unlikely to happen again. It was a unique situation.
“I am not a medic, but to bring someone into the environment that day when we had 28 people who were vomiting... there is no other industry in the world where a medic would recommend to someone that they should come to that place and work.
“No other clubs have had compensation for cancellations even though they have happened to a number of sides. We find ourselves in that position and no doubt the owners will be discussing that with Gloucester.”