Sharks owner wants to ‘put World Rugby on trial’

The head of the consortium that recently took over the Sharks franchise has offered legal support to Rassie Erasmus after he was summoned by World Rugby.

World Rugby summoned the Director of Rugby for a misconduct hearing in relation to referee criticism, but Sharks owner Marco Masotti says he already has legal assistance on standby.

‘Put World Rugby on trial’

Masotti is also a partner at the Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton and Garrison law firm in New York and has offered his aid to Erasmus.

“I have a team of New York lawyers ready to take care of Rassie and SA Rugby. Let us put World Rugby on trial,” Massotti Tweeted

Erasmus will face an independent misconduct hearing following his video critique of officials in the first British and Irish Lions Test, which has split rugby fans. Although it is unclear what counsel he will retain for the proceedings.

British and Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland had previously questioned the lack of contingency plans after the original TMO, New Zealand’s Brendon Pickerill has to withdraw and was replaced by South African Marius Jonker at short notice. Gatland has also been instructed to appear before a World Rugby hearing as a result of his comments.

Former Lions coach has tabloid column whine over Erasmus

Former British and Irish Lions coach Cilve Woodward to call for additional charged to be levelled against Erasmus.

World Rugby rules only prohobit head coaches from performing water carrying duties which means that as Director of Rugby, Erasmus is within his rights to perform the role, but Woodward isn’t happy with his level of involvement.

“Meanwhile, it was depressing to see World Rugby belatedly announce an independent investigation into Rassie Erasmus’ long rant last week,” Woodward wrote in his Daily Mail column.

“Too late. It was last week’s story not this week’s but also it is the wrong offence.

“World Rugby need to be looking at his intimidating physical presence on the pitch as a bogus water boy at the same time as those he has been calling out are making key decisions.

“He has been doing it since the South Africa ‘A’ game three weeks ago and that is when World Rugby should have stepped in with decisive action.

“The day after it should either have been a red card — stay in the stands — or, in the bizarre event of World Rugby thinking it is OK, they should have cleared him.

“It is ridiculous for World Rugby to equate Gatland’s justified reaction to their own glaring incompetence in not having a neutral back-up TMO.”

The hearings of both Gatland and Erasmus will be held after the third and final Test of the Lions tour this weekend.