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WRU release findings of Ruddock report: ‘Worse things happen at sea’

The WRU have presented their findings

Posted March 1st, 2006

Welsh Rugby Union chief executive Steve Lewis has presented his union’s findings after the investigation into the debacle of the Mike Ruddock affair.

After Ruddock’s shock departure from the position of head coach for Wales in the middle of the Six Nations, Lewis wasted no time in launching a thorough investigation into the incident.

WRU chairman David Pickering, who had control over much of the study, announced the findings of the report to a packed press conference at the Millennium Stadium on Wednesday.

‘After an in-depth and soul-searching investigation by myself and Steve Lewis,’ said the former Welsh international, ‘I can assure the Welsh rugby public that despite the crisis Welsh rugby is going through at the moment, and despite concerns that much of this was brought on by poor management at the WRU, much, much worse things happen at sea.’

Pickering then took the assembled press corps through a powerpoint presentation of various twentieth-century naval disasters.

‘You think losing your head coach in the middle of the Six Nations is bad?’ said Pickering. ‘Imagine being all adrift at sea with engine trouble, no radio power, out of date medical supplies and no fresh water. Those kind of things happens at sea. I’m sure you can see that, in comparison to this sort of thing, the WRU acted professionally on this occasion.’

Following on from our exclusive report concerning the WRU’s recent press conference (click here), The East Terrace can bring you exclusive coverage of the WRU’s investigation into the whole Mike Ruddock affair. Amongst the findings presented to the media in the forty-page dossier, we can bring you the following conclusions reached by the WRU:

Whilst the Welsh Rugby Union should have ensured that the head coach of the national team was paid the full win bonus after taking Wales to the grand slam in the 2005 RBS Six Nations, it must be noted that the sinking of the Titanic in 1912 led to the death of over 1,500 people. It would be insulting to compare the two incidents and the Welsh Rugby Union will not do so.

Whilst there have been conflicting reports of whether Mike Ruddock was sacked or he chose to resign, it must be remembered that the sinking of the USS Indianapolis in 1945 led to the loss of over 300 lives. This was an affair of far more significance than a mere resignation in a rugby organisation. The WRU asks the Welsh rugby public to put things into perspective and move forward. Rugby is just a game.

Accusations of clandestine meetings between senior players in the national team and members of the WRU regarding the position of Mike Ruddock are irrelevant when compared to the piracy problems currently plaguing the Indian Ocean off Somalia.

David Pickering finished the press conference by asking the Welsh rugby public to move on from an affair which, when compared to the many and various tragedies that occur at sea, was ‘of no importance’.

Meanwhile, chief executive Steve Lewis announced plans to lead 70,000 Welsh fans at the Italian fixture next Saturday in a mass rendition of the Monty Python song ‘Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.’