Shock SA Rugby Mag poll holds Harrassmus accountable

The result of a recent reader poll has produced a shock result as more than half of respondents called for harsh sanctions against the Springboks.

Readers were polled to establish what they thought would be the most just outcome of the current misconduct case against Rassie Erasmus and SA Rugby.

The hearing, which commenced on Tuesday, is the result of charges brought against SA Rugby and their director of rugby after Erasmus produced a 62-minute video in which he criticised match officials during the recently completed three-Test series against the British & Irish Lions.

Erasmus questioned a series of discrepancies in the first Test and, in the aftermath, England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Australia have since encouraged World Rugby to make an example of him. There have been calls for Erasmus to be handed a lengthy suspension from the game, a fine for SA Rugby and some have even suggested that South Africa could be stripped of their series win.

Despite an earlier poll which revealed that 85% of SARugbymag.co.za readers believed Erasmus was perfectly justified in publicly airing his grievances, the most recent poll – which asked what sanctions readers would be satisfied with from the misconduct hearing – returned a shuddering result.

While former Springbok coach and selector Ian McIntosh did not endorse Erasmus’ actions, he believes the director of rugby should be commended. But according to almost 52% of SARugbymag.co.za poll respondents (with nearly 6,000 votes), the world champion Springboks should be stripped of their series win over the Lions!

A further 10.5% felt that Erasmus and SA Rugby were in the wrong – made up of 6.5% who believe the two parties should apologise while 4% deem SA Rugby liable for a fine.

These respondents were opposed by 35% of those polled (with over 4,000 votes) who believe World Rugby is at fault and should issue a public apology for its role in the controversy.

To strip the team of a win would be a meaningless gesture, everybody knows who won the series. I find it interesting though that there is so much animus among the South African support group. Perhaps these are all the Cape  Crusaders?

Mozart at it again - as if the SA rugby supporters do not think highly of Erasmus.    What a farce this idiot is.  

Do try to get with it Pervert. These are the results of a 6000 person survey conducted by a South African rugby magazine. The question is whether the survey was contaminated or whether sportsmanship is still alive in South Africa as the poll seems to suggest.

So you are not the only lunatic around?    How many times did you enter the poll?   

So you are not the only lunatic around?    How many times did you enter the poll?   

It’s not lunacy to expect good sportsmanship. Nor does it take a professional to recognize that the video was a totally one sided view of what happened.

It is lunacy to wrote off  results and carry on like you do.   Remember how you used to justify the Springbok loss in 2011 RWC against  Australia by blaming Bryce Lawrence - the referee - for that loss - but now that Erasmus has proof of inadequacy in refereeing it is not sportsmanlike.   Have great fun - you are talking kak as per normal.  /   .    

Maaik...we lost to the Aussies in 2011.

Josè was coaching the Boks in that WC. What issues I have raised were accurate. The Boks haven't been at 5 penalties to a card (2009 to 2011) for years now, and New Zealand not 56 penalties to a card. If you think I'm wrong, produce the evidence. 

So the SA Rugby Mag guys were supporting Rassie and now they are not.

What à load of nonsense. Very obviously a whole lot of foreigners voted to make the change. - British whingers and those down under bumkins doubtless chimed in.

There is no ways South Africans voted against Rassie.

Rassie deserves a medal of honor! Plus monetary compensation. 

I see Stephan Terblance said Rassie was not sucking Berry's mistakes out of his thumb.

Further it is being stated that Rassie did not leak the video. Let's see where that goes.

To blazes with these cheating cover up queens at the IRB and ALL who hate transparency and condone biased /cooking refs. 

I note the virtue signing wee abs, biggest cheats in world rugby, are protesting the Barret red etc. 

They would have a complete meltdown if Berry pulled one on them like he did the Boks. 

But the worst are the Bok pretend supporters who day after day vilify Rassie and are now siding with cover up cheats. 

It's despicable I tell ya!!! 

Mozart

With opinion polling what question was asked by the pollsters  and what optional answers  were possible?     You were trying to create something out of nothing again.      

British guys reading SA Rugby Mag…..I doubt it. Cape Crusaders I can buy. 

Your hysterical bleating is very unbecoming HasBeen. Harrasmus’ video looks increasingly silly in retrospect and it certainly ruined the series as a great celebration of rugby.

"Harrasmus’ video looks increasingly silly in retrospect and it certainly ruined the series as a great celebration of rugby."

Maybe silly, but IMO it's a total over dramatization to allege that it ruined the series...the backlash is a total overreaction...

And I first read about South Africa being stripped of the Lions series win on a British rag website...no t unlikely at all that the "Barmy Army" swarmed that poll.

Ja, I still regret it...

I don’t know of anyone who entered that poll. But I’m sure the conspiracy theory will suit you better ! 

Considering how much SA rugby failed to anchor rugby as a local practice, 6000 looks representative enough.

Harrasmus’ video looks increasingly silly in retrospect and it certainly ruined the series as a great celebration of rugby.

What they want people to believe.

Indeed, the series was ruined, indeed, it enters the collective memory as one of the worst lions tour ever.

But it must be believed that is ruined because of a side lined rant uttered by the SA coach, a rant that had impact only in SA and in WR.

The very fact that SA, due to a lack of proper training in SA and squad depth was unable to field a proper A team, spoiling in the doing the narrative structure of a Lions tour, that is two teams that are rising in strength before a final confrontation, this very fact has nothing to do with ruining the series.

The very fact that three last games were all of them an insult to the rugby, a smear on the rugby spirit has even less to do with ruining the series.

Removed the SA coach rant, and suddenly the series is turned brilliant.

What they want people to believe.

Actually, reading this stuff, the SA coach did a great favour to all those guys as he provided them with sidetracking material to deny the main cause of the ruin: the failure of SA rugby as a host. They failed to host the event, to rise up, they had to bend the rules in order to win and not be humiliated.

The series was ruined but it was ruined before the coach's rant. The rant is a no event that cant conceal the causes of the ruin.

Terminate rugby in SA.

"Terminate rugby in SA"

No, you terminate being an idiot on this site.

Terminate South Africa and declare a new Cape Free State……now that’s a program I could get behind!

Trad and a "new" Aussie arrive roughly the same time. Speaking against SA the same way as the supposed New Zealander Linda. Come onnCleanCut, just be yourself. 

Ah,the love  for conspiracy theories...

There should be no surprise in the dates of appearance: they match the international SA games.

And for the main obvious reason: SA rugby ruins the game of rugby. Now if left isolated, there will be no appearances.

The SA team did not play for two years or so. Result: no appearances.

Any time there is an international game involving SA, there may be an appearance. Simple.

Herr Drache has Afrikaans grandparents, he wont go there...

"England head coach Eddie Jones has urged World Rugby to take swift action against Rassie Erasmus for breaking ranks with his “famous video”.

Jones confirmed he has demanded a quick conclusion to the disciplinary action launched against Erasmus to set an example to the sport. Erasmus criticised Australian referee Nic Berry in a 62-minute- long video released before the Springboks’ second Test against the British & Irish Lions in July.

Erasmus highlighted 36 clips which he claims show mistakes by Berry and other officials in the match Lions won 22-17. South Africa won the second Test and eventually took the series.

A date has yet to be set for Erasmus’ misconduct hearing but World Rugby chiefs are expected to make an example of him.

Asked about the video, Jones said swift action was needed to quash that kind of public outburst.

“It should be dealt with quickly,” Jones told the BBC on Monday. “We need to make sure that we have respect in the game because we are asking kids to be respectful to the referee and if they see examples of players or coaches being disrespectful to the referee it gives them an excuse to do it at their level.”

Jones did concede that refereeing standards could be improved if the officials worked better as a unit.

“The game is in a good place but we have to be careful and I think there are some issues in the game we need to look at very carefully,” he said. “One of them is the diligence of the referees to referee the important part of the game well.

“Rassie made his famous video and I don’t think that is correct, but we need to make sure the referees work as a three a lot harder than they do at the moment to ensure that, particularly at the breakdown, we get what we need to get, which is a fair contest between contest and continuity.

“But there is an appropriate way to do it and that is being respectful to the referee.”

lol

No support at home, no support abroad.

I'm waiting for St Josè to release his video concerning the second Puma test, seeing as he isn't only trying to work the ref in the Bok's favour.