Former England captain Mike Tindall has been dropped and fined by the RFU for incidents that took place in Queenstown, New Zealand, while on tour at the Rugby World Cup. James Haskell and Chris Ashton have also been fined, for a separate incident.
England left New Zealand with their reputation in tatters after underperforming on the field and making waves off the field. After the tournament had finished, there was more controversy as young Manu Tuilagi landed himself in hot (possibly freezing) water.
Today the RFU took action after three players breached their England Elite Player Squad Agreement while on tour. Tindall has been removed from the squad completely and fined £25,000 for events that took place in Queenstown, while Chris Ashton and James Haskell have both been handed suspended £5,000 fines for their part in an incident with girl in a hotel.
“Mike Tindall’s actions reached a level of misconduct that was unacceptable in a senior England player and amounted to a very serious breach of the EPS Code of Conduct. Whilst we acknowledge his previous good character it needs to be made clear that what he did will not be tolerated,” said Rob Andrew.
He said that serious allegations against Ashton, Haskell, and Dylan Hartley were found to be false, but by getting themselves in a compromising situation, they too breached the code of conduct.
“Finally, these episodes and the subsequent disciplinary action should stand as a strong reminder that the highest standards of personal conduct are expected from any England player on and off the field,” he added. They have three days to appeal, and we’ve just heard that Tindall will.
The below video has nothing to do with the incidents mentioned above, but it shows a recent tackle by Tindall on Schalk Brits, while his supportive wife, royal Zara Phillips, looks on from the stands. A nice moment after what went on in New Zealand.
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