South Africa confirm they do know what ‘designated channels’ are after Rassie rant
To the surprise of everyone that has followed the events of the last week in the rugby sphere, South Africa have confirmed that they do actually know what “designated channels” are after World Rugby confirmed Rassie Erasmus will face an independent misconduct hearing for his feature-length film released last week.
So to all those who were hoping South Africa were going to release a rap video to fire back at World Rugby, you will be sadly disappointed.
After the World Rugby statement was released, the Springboks Tweeted: “SA Rugby has noted the charges brought by World Rugby and will respond through the designated channels. There will be no further comment from SA Rugby until the process is complete.”
Statement: SA Rugby has noted the charges brought by World Rugby and will respond through the designated channels. There will be no further comment from SA Rugby until the process is complete.
— Springboks (@Springboks) August 2, 2021
This Tweet would have caught many by surprise as “designated channels” have not seemed to be favoured by South Africa so far this series against the British & Irish Lions. Then again, there is nothing saying the mythical Jaco Johan must respond through the designated channels…
The World Rugby statement reads: “South Africa Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus and SA Rugby will face an independent misconduct hearing for comments regarding match official performance during the test series between South Africa and the British and Irish Lions.
“Match officials are the backbone of the sport, and without them there is no game. World Rugby condemns any public criticism of their selection, performance or integrity which undermines their role, the well-established and trust-based coach-officials feedback process, and more importantly, the values that are at the heart of the sport.
“Having conducted a full review of all the available information, World Rugby is concerned that individuals from both teams have commented on the selection and/or performance of match officials.
“However, the extensive and direct nature of the comments made by Rassie Erasmus within a video address, in particular, meets the threshold to be considered a breach of World Rugby Regulation 18 (Misconduct and Code of Conduct) and will now be considered by an independent disciplinary panel. The date and panel will be confirmed in due course.
“World Rugby has reminded the management of both teams of the importance of this area and their obligations regarding the values of the sport. In order to protect the integrity of the sport and its values, World Rugby will also undertake a review of its Code of Conduct relating to incidents of this nature with a view to strengthening scope, rules and sanctions.
“As with any test series, South Africa versus the British and Irish Lions is a showcase of rugby that generates great excitement and interest, even more so at this challenging time for sport and society. It is an opportunity for both teams and their management to set a positive example and concentrate on the spectacle and a wonderful example of rugby and its values at their best.”
