BBC article on eye gouged player

LowOdour

Something that every rugby player should be made read. Only a small percentage of them do it, but as the article shows it only takes one

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/8663226.stm

freyners

i play u-19 and colleges rugby. this happened to me during a colleges game, took on the ball, got tackled, ruck formed, the experience of someone gouging at my eye was horrific, i had only one had free and i couldnt bring to my eye to bat it away. He managed to rip out my contact too:mad:. People who do this are thugs, pure and simple and have no right to playing any sport
The sight of that mans eye i hope will shame the very small percentage of players that do to stop.

Ciaran-Irl

Very powerful article.

Steffano2002

Life-ban and a criminal record (including a prison sentence if the injured player suffers lasting injuries) and financial reparations. That will make those lowlifes think twice before trying it! :mad:

Gracelessly Tom

Read that article this morning. My opinion is you gouge you don't play. Life bans for those that do, no excuse or reason to put your fingers or hands near another guys face or head.

Obviously when falling at a ruck a hand might brush a head but no reason at all for a finger to "accidently" lodge in a guys eye!!

Its the lowest form of thuggery on a pitch. What goes through the sick mind of someone that thinks this is acceptable???

Eoin

Ugh, I still wince when I see the photo of the one on Ferris.

freyners

heres the link for the full interview
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00sf9yg/5_live_Sport_5_live_Rugby_06_05_2010/

TheTMO

There has definitely been an increase in the amount of gouging since its become so publisized. It seems to be the weapon of choice now for self proclaimed 'dirty players'.

Eoin

Steffano2002 wrote: »

Life-ban and a criminal record (including a prison sentence if the injured player suffers lasting injuries) and financial reparations. That will make those lowlifes think twice before trying it! :mad:

Whatever about the lifetime ban, I think the criminal record and financial reparations are already possible as foul play of this nature is considered assault - even in a contact sport.

freyners

eoin wrote: »

Whatever about the lifetime ban, I think the criminal record and financial reparations are already possible as foul play of this nature is considered assault - even in a contact sport.

the police are investigating so i guess a criminal record is more than a possibility, hopefully the person who did this will get one, he deserves it

LFC5Times

I remember reading about this around the time it happened - sick is the only word for it.

Unfortunately the failure of the IRB in a case like Schalk Burger (Luke Fitzgerald) to hand out a proper suspension, doesn't seem to of put those thugs who consider gouging off enough.

Burger should of got minimum 1 year suspension!

kensutz

eoin wrote: »

Ugh, I still wince when I see the photo of the one on Ferris.

I took the starting sequence of photos

Eoin

kensutz wrote: »

I took the starting sequence of photos

The one of Attoub that they falsely claimed was doctored? I found the one you took of the one by Dupuy anyway.

kensutz

That was Oliver McVeigh. I have it from a different angle where you see the hand going in but not the close up of the finger.

kensutz

kensutz wrote: »

That was Oliver McVeigh. I have it from a different angle where you see the hand going in but not the close up of the finger.

Fire it off to Mad Max in Stade Francais.

d'Oracle

My stomach tried a few back flips there.

thebaz

what is it makes someone want to gouge - I'd say it is mental illness - i have a fairly ambivalent attitude to a few digs - in fact coming from a football background i could understand Flannery's transgressions - but sticking a finger into someones eye , with the purpose of pulling out an eyeball is just well

tolosenc

Lifetime band and prosecution is the only solution to this, nevermind the need for automatic red cards fo fingers in the eye-area...

razorblunt

It's sad that it will have to come to a huge international player losing sight in an eye before they start to take it seriously.

Read the qoute on the article "if in the future there is a serious incident of gouging, and somebody is seriously injured, and the culprit comes before me, then he is in danger of a life ban "

RFU disciplinary chief Judge Jeff Blackett

If buts and maybes, should be a lifetime ban at the least. Jokeshop.

[Jackass]

Again, must agree, at ANY level of the game, be it a top level international, or a low tier rugby match, any infliction of this severity deserves a life time ban from the sport, a massive proportional fine to the player AND club, and criminal proceedings.

Just because you're on a sporting field should not give you immunity from reckless endangerment and GBH.

It's very difficult to accidently hook your finger into someones eye and snap their head back.

I can't even describe the rage and discust i feel from this. :mad:

Depp

i was gouged in an u16 match once and found out later the culprit was taught how by his dad...sick! got him back though, right hook to the jaw when the ref wasnt looking...nice

danthefan

[Jackass] wrote: »

Again, must agree, at ANY level of the game, be it a top level international, or a low tier rugby match, any infliction of this severity deserves a life time ban from the sport, a massive proportional fine to the player AND club, and criminal proceedings.

Just because you're on a sporting field should not give you immunity from reckless endangerment and GBH.

It's very difficult to accidently hook your finger into someones eye and snap their head back.

I can't even describe the rage and discust i feel from this. :mad:

Yep, exactly. There are certain things that are to be expected while playing a game of rugby, and therefore are not prosecutable, gouging is not one of those things.

suppafly

Foul play of this magnatude is disgusting. That player as others have said be jailed and have to pay a damages.

daveharnett

Maidstone RFC Club Statement (The alleged offender's team)
The Police have completed a thorough investigation of the gouging claim on the Gravesend player, Clarence Harding, the outcome of which is that they believe there is insufficient evidence of a criminal act to refer the matter to the Crown Prosecution Service.
Maidstone Rugby Club has cooperated fully with the police, and the Rugby Football Union in the investigation into this incident in the Kent Cup game on 17th January 2010 played at Maidstone.
We have been guided by these bodies at every step and have not commented on the incident, at their suggestion and from the suggestion of our own independent advisors.
We understand that the RFU intends to conduct their own enquiry and we will continue to co-operate fully with them.
We have been presented with no evidence by any of these bodies, nor from the limited enquiries we conducted before the police became involved, to lead us to believe this was anything but a tragic accident. We will continue to subscribe to this view until evidence is presented to us to contradict this.
We recognise the enormity of the injury for Clarence, both in the short and long-term and the impact this will have on his life. We offer him our deepest sympathy.
We have always supported disciplinary action by the Kent RFU when any of our players have been found guilty of misconduct on the field and would continue to do so should evidence be found to implicate one or more of our players in this specific incident. Equally, we stand by our players in the belief that none of them contributed to this incident.
6th May 2010

What a disgusting, disgraceful cop out.

Risteard

How the **** can a finger that goes deep enough into the eye to blind someone be an accident?

I mean, yes accidents can happen and occasionally, a finger can get caught around the eye area but into it? Disgraceful.

thomond2006

daveharnett wrote: »

What a disgusting, disgraceful cop out.

They can't actually be serious can they? :mad:

daveharnett

thomond2006 wrote: »

They can't actually be serious can they? :mad:

Evidently their lawyers are serious, and the club's committee lack the bottle and/or integrity to contradict them.

amacachi

Can never understand such scumminess, I mean there are ways to hurt people within the rules and they can do the same to you. Pure cowardice. I don't know who I'd feel sorrier for if someone did it to me, myself or them.

BoarHunter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoiE3Yb5em0

I knew i saw something on the replay of this. surprising that nobody reported this. I thought there was a video commission for every HCup match.... this one is pretty nasty.

Morf

Pretty nasty? Looked very minimal to me. Slow motion too.

Crash

Not even sure thats a gouge, think Hayes was being a git and going for the broken nose.

Eoin

Very little in that one. I think you're just specifically trying to find an example of an Irish player gouging a French one because of the Ferris incident.

irishbucsfan

BoarHunter wrote: »

I knew i saw something on the replay of this. surprising that nobody reported this. I thought there was a video commission for every HCup match.... this one is pretty nasty.

Seriously?

in slow motion, there is contact with the side of harinordoquy's yoke for a milisecond.

Not only that but at no point does Hayes even look at Harinordoquy.

In my opinion he's just reaching out to grab a jersey to tighten his bind.

thebaz

BoarHunter wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoiE3Yb5em0

I knew i saw something on the replay of this. surprising that nobody reported this. I thought there was a video commission for every HCup match.... this one is pretty nasty.

that is not a gouge , not even a foul , Hayes doesn't even look at him - a gouge is where someone deliberately sticks a finger in someones eye with the purpose of pulling out an eye ball - just cause someone touches someone near the eye does not make it a gouge

magotch07

very good article feel sorry for the lad...the chap who done it should be banned for life

powerfade

BoarHunter wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoiE3Yb5em0

I knew i saw something on the replay of this. surprising that nobody reported this. I thought there was a video commission for every HCup match.... this one is pretty nasty.

Whoever put this up on youtube under the title 'Hayes gouging' is a disgrace. This might get me in trouble but Boarhunter you are a disgrace for saying that this is an eye gouge. Hayes is locked in, can't see right or left put his hand out to bind a jersey and hits him on the face for a milisecond. Your video is in slow motion, try picking that out in real time. Were there any complaints from harinordoquy or his teammates afterwards...no! You should be ashamed to post this and that youtube video should be taken down. Pretty nasty BoarHunter???? please tell me what you find pretty nasty about this video.

BoarHunter

We can open a new thread if you want with the modos permission and talk about this in a civilized manner. I didn't say it was an eye gouging, but for me it is very unlikely that you catch and pinch someone's brocken nose in an attempt to catch a jersey that is one foot below.

Let's wait for the mods to give permission and talk about it.

toomevara

Thanks for that really helpful addition to the thread/forum. I don't usually get involved in this sort of thing but If that's a gouge I'm the shah of Iran and I'm not having it. This is only going to go in one direction. Thread Locked. Don't open a separate thread on it. It's deliberately inflammatory, provocative. Lets remember this is rugby not badminton. Honestly!