Posted by It’s been two years now since the details of the Welsh Rugby Union’s culture of racism, sexism and misogyny were reported by the Telegraph, followed by a tell-all BBC Wales investigation ahead of the 2023 Six Nations.
In that time there have been resignations, governance overhauls, appearances in front of the Senedd and a full review from Dame Anne Rafferty, yet here we are ahead of the 2024 Summer Internationals and it seems the WRU still has a long way to go before it can honestly call itself a principled organisation.
Now this is not a critique of individual player selections from a rugby point-of-view, people can debate them separately until they’re blue in the face, but it is a serious questioning of how the Union manages the image of players selected in national teams which, by association, is an extension of their own image.
Ahead of this summer’s men’s games against South Africa, Australia and the Reds, Head Coach Warren Gatland has chosen to recall Cory Hill who could win his first caps since the 2021 Six Nations. That comes on the back of the continuing selection of Hannah Bluck in the women’s team, most recently starting against Italy on Super Saturday this year.
It was May 2021 that Hill drunkenly tried breaking into the home of a single mother with two young children in Rhondda Cynon Taf, in an incident that was eventually revealed as a case of mistaken identity with the second row attempting to target his own rented out property in an effort to intimidate the tenant.
The now 32-year-old faced no further action from South Wales Police, who subsequently received a complaint over their handling of the incident from the victim, before taking an early exit from his Cardiff contract and quickly signing for the Yokohama Canon Eagles in Japan. He currently plies his trade for the fourth division Secom Rugguts.
Bluck, meanwhile, was found guilty of assaulting her then-fiancé in August 2020 by punching her while intoxicated and leaving her with a bloody nose and two black eyes. She was sentenced to an 18-month community order and 120 hours of unpaid work, as well as paying over £700 in costs. An appeal was subsequently thrown out and the sentence upheld.
Of course people make mistakes and people change, that’s fully accepted. These two “mistakes” are seriously egregious, but second chances can be given in the right circumstances. Unfortunately the WRU do not appear to be interested in creating those circumstances at all.
Bluck’s conviction has been totally ignored by the Union. There was no mention when she was recalled for the 2023 Six Nations or awarded a full-time contract the following summer, swept under the carpet as if it never happened, and it seems that a similar scenario will take place with Hill’s return to the men’s side this summer.
Rugby may not be the most popular sport in Wales these days, in terms of attendance or participation, but I retain the view that culturally it is still the national sport, and as such the national team should be a reflection of the nation; hardworking, passionate, humble and, most importantly, honest. It should represent the country with pride.
In order for that to happen there has to be open and honest dialogue from Westgate Street, including owning mistakes and showing genuine willingness to right wrongs. Would recognising what Bluck and Hill have done, releasing their apologies and laying out steps to make up for those incidents suddenly make everything right? No, probably not. Would it be a start, and much better than burying heads in the sand? Yes, absolutely.
Because as things stand, with my son recently turned one and attending games with myself and my other half, I’m not keen on taking him to Cymru rugby matches. I want the national teams, both men and women, to be role models for him as athletes and as people, but that cannot be the case in rugby when internationals are allowed to commit morally reprehensible acts without any obvious contrition.
As time drags on and the WRU do not address their already reported failings, instead doubling down with new incidents of now seemingly accepted violence, you begin to wonder if the new governance and new faces at the organisation are just more of the same – self-absorbed nodding dogs solely focused on keeping national teams going in order to enjoy their hospitality jollies across the world.
Things need to change, and they need to change yesterday.
Cardiff Rugby Life 