Appropriate Sentence ??

[lazaroonie]

this isnt a new thing - 12 years ago (yikes!) I was playing in a local rugby match , a real grudge match, uddingston vs hamilton, where the hamilton winger, completely unprovoked made a bee-line from the wing, to the back of the ruck to stick the nut on one of our front row players.

As it happens, the guy had a bit pf previous, so when found guilty of assault in the courtroom, he was given a custodial sentence.

A few weeks after this, there was the more publicised case (at a higher level) of the match in edinburgh involving a preston lodge player who performed a similar headbutt. This one was caught on camera, and resulted I believe in a 9 month prison sentence.

Several years (1988) before this, 4 players found themselves up before the beak on charges ranging from breach of the peace, to common assault, after another quiet Celtic V Rangers match.


The sports field is not different than any other public area. The safety of the public needs to be defended, whether they are out walking their dog, or whether they are partaking in a sporting activity. The balance is about right at the moment, in that minor infarctions will be punished within the game, whereas there will be occasions where a more severe punishment is needed.

but it is nothing new.

[Ironside]

When you step on the field of play, you don't step outside the law of the land.

The main reason I hate rugby so much is that its so common to either stamp or tread on people. Bunch of thugs who like a ruck but aren't actually tough enough to get in a cage or a ring.

Combat sports are obviously a bit different, but the strikes occur within a set of rules and there's disclaimers, insurance forms and consent forms.
When the bell goes at the end of a round or a ref stops a fight to award a victory, if the winner were to sit on top of the loser and continue pounding, that would obviously be an assault.

Stamping on someones head is sickening, especially with a pair of studded boots on. There may be some grey areas, but stamping on a head is not one

Good judgement, good sentence

oh yeah i would of loved to have stepped into the ring with you back in the day after a statement like that might of been a bit of a miss match but that is a better reason for you to HATE rugby in that they put the 11st guys on the field with the 18st guys

[lazaroonie]

When you step on the field of play, you don't step outside the law of the land.

The main reason I hate rugby so much is that its so common to either stamp or tread on people. Bunch of thugs who like a ruck but aren't actually tough enough to get in a cage or a ring.

fairly obvious you know nothing about the game, so why dont you keep your @(ignorant) opinions to yourself.

[Robert HM]

calm down, calm down

[AdamM]

As it happens I was forced to play the game for 5 years at school.

I'm also comfortable fighting 18st guys in a martial arts situation.

And I'm entitled to calmly give my opinion

[Robert HM]

The school I went to wanted to break into rugby, it already had a good footie team and one of the best rowing schools. I picked rugby as I was crap at football. I have also done my fair share of milling in a ring. I am also entitled to give a view. I choose rowing.

[The_duke]

The school I went to wanted to break into rugby, it already had a good footie team and one of the best rowing schools. I picked rugby as I was crap at football. I have also done my fair share of milling in a ring. I am also entitled to give a view. I choose rowing.

Is that
v.   intr. Nautical
To propel a boat with or as if with oars.

or

v.   
A boisterous disturbance or quarrel; a brawl.

 

[lazaroonie]

Stamping on someones head is sickening, especially with a pair of studded boots on.

getting off on two guys wearing lycra and contiously groping each other around the groin area  I would consider more sickening...

[Robert HM]

The school I went to wanted to break into rugby, it already had a good footie team and one of the best rowing schools. I picked rugby as I was crap at football. I have also done my fair share of milling in a ring. I am also entitled to give a view. I choose rowing.

Is that
v.   intr. Nautical
To propel a boat with or as if with oars.

or

v.   
A boisterous disturbance or quarrel; a brawl.

 

The former as a past time, the latter, controlled, as a profession.

[kinboshi]

Rugby League is a far better game than Union anyway...

[Flea]

I think that all this proves is that sports are changing to reflect societies attitude to violence in general.

Years ago I remember JPR Williams being raked in the face by a New Zealand forward in  Bridgend V The tourists game when he found himself on the wrong side of the ruck, he was taken away had several stitches (over 20) in various parts of his face and was scarred afterwards, his response was "well I shouldn't have been on their side of the ruck so it's fair game - though the guy shouldn't have been wearing metal studs". 3 weeks later JPR was in the Welsh team playing NZ and shook the guys hand before the game - 5 minutes in he booted an up'n'under almost down the guys throat and careered into the legal tackle with rather more force than normal (Now rightly or wrongly that couldn't happen nowadays as the original offender would be banned for several games and not be in the International match due to the first incident).

However my point is that too a certain extent sports are physical activities and in most team sports body contact is involved so to a certain extent they have to be self-policing. I think for the outside law to get involved the situation needs to be something particularly unsavoury and outside the usual confines of the sport. Stamping on a player in a ruck whilst nasty and dangerous is not wholly outside the confines of the sport of Rugby (where legally in a ruck players are allowed to "encourage players out of the way of the ball using non-excessive foot contact", so a stamp on a body part is a foul but still part of the game and therefore self-regulation should take place).

I am neither condoning the guys actions or stating that the sentence is wrong here, just I think the law needs to be very certain that an assault has taken place and not just an exaggerated (sp) sporting occurence as otherwise it is setting a rather rigid precedence which could have a far seeing effect on all contact sports and also to the legal system and sport insurance companies as a whole.

[dazzaster]

The question in hand is, is it an Appropriate Sentence
Which obviously depends on the situation, My view that a punch in the gob or a stud in the head has always being part of the game. Right or Wrong and other than extreme situation should stay on the pitch.  
However If the victim of the assault feels it is a case for the courts to decide on then it has to be judged as any other assault. 15 months seems extreme, compared to the leniancy given to burgulars and drug dealers. IMO
I also played rugby ( at county level) and am one of those 11st guys, not a problem I can assure you and it was my choice.
Rugby is probably one of the most honorable games going and anyone who has played the game (by choice not because your teacher said you had to) would know that.

[Ironside]

As it happens I was forced to play the game for 5 years at school.

I'm also comfortable fighting 18st guys in a martial arts situation.

And I'm entitled to calmly give my opinion

then why do martail arts split down wieght groupings then

when i dabbled i would never of been allowed to compete against you not because of a gap in the skills but becuse of my height and weight advantaged it would of been an unfair fight

on the rugby pitch they normally get the little guy and put him in the centre of the scrum but then again its normally a little guy with wieght behind him

[dazzaster]

Rugby League is a far better game than Union anyway...

Ha Ha now your just stiring 

[wader leg]

Rugby League is a far better game than Union anyway...

Agreed


http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=i5EHW7op9us