What is the most criminal offence in rugby?

Chris Ashton's evil, brutal and callous swallow dive offended many people, nations and religions, but Delon Armitage's "finger wagging" has shaken the rugby world to its very foundations.

I have to agree that this Armitage stunt could be the biggest felony to happen in rugby since the Ospreys 2010 xmas party at Taibach RFC.

I would suggest as a minimum they give Armitage a custodial sentence plus a lifetime ban from any sport.

t1000,

I just moved this to the general rugby section. There is already an Armitage article & poll in the club section.

I voted for the three-fingered Fitz-ball on this occasion but some of the others are pretty bad too.

I still think Ashton's swallow dive is worse than Armitage's pre-try celebration last night. Peter Betham did it too in a SXV match last night - the head turning in mid-air one whilst simultaneously poking his tongue out at hapless defenders. All very annoying.

The worst is "being Delon Armitage" the punishment is harsh though.

The punishment is....."being Delon Armitage"

I still think the ballboy was the most evil - the little Bast...... boy.

What is the most criminal offence in rugby?

Any deliberate attempt to injure.
Rugby is far too lenient with this type of dirty play.

The Armitage thing pales in comparison.

Agree with that.

Being an armchair fan?

Breadvan wrote:Being an armchair fan?

Nope, that's fun, unless you of course fall of your chair and deliberately injure your buddy.

If people want to watch a match on the verge of criminality then go back and watch the England vs. France QF in the RWC91.

If some posters had their rainbow and candyfloss skies way I think PDV's 2009 fears may be proved right... their would be no winning, no scoring, no tackling, no rucking, the referee would be on standby to stop and give players hugs and everyone would receive a medal for taking part. I can't wait.

Breadvan wrote:Being an armchair fan?

But I like armchairs...

Ikea is so last year though.... every shape you want as long as it's square.

I would have Callum Clarke up there.

And the shambles of a disciplinary process that allowed him and his representatives to lie their way to a 50% reduction.

lostinwales wrote:

Breadvan wrote:Being an armchair fan?

But I like armchairs...

Oh god yeh, as much as the next man. However I wrench my ample *cough* arris and go and watch the team I claim to support...

Any game Steve Walsh referees!
Or perhaps we should just say Steve Walsh.

Losing, I would say.

Gouging is the worst, what happened to gavin quinnell is horrendous and actually criminal. All the Show boating trype gets sorted by the fans and media with the person ending up looking like a plank ! Ashton and delon are perfect examples.

Bad referees,
Long lines in the Beer tent,
But what really gets me are the spectators with weak bladders that constantly shuffle up and down my Aisle making me miss chunks of a match.

No, in all seriousness - Eye gouging has to be the worst! Followed by an attempt to seriously injure a player (not handbag punching) - I'm talking Callum Clarke arm breaks or deliberate kicks to head.

I would have to go for the "act like an ostrich" tackle on BoD.

You could also argue that in a certain country immediatley to the West of England, just been English is the worst thing to many.

WELL-PAST-IT wrote:I would have to go for the "act like an ostrich" tackle on BoD.

You could also argue that in a certain country immediatley to the West of England, just been English is the worst thing to many.

You mean county not country right???

Letting Johnathan Davies commentate...

What happened to Gavin Quinnell's eye must be the most criminal thong to have happened IMO. Ended his career.

Surely the biggest rugby crime is passing the ball to a prop forward in open play. He's only going to knock on, and even if by some miracle he manages to catch the ball (and not then try to eat it), he's going to collapse of exhaustion within 10 yards

Passing to a prop forward in open play

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xJaXdYQ-1o

Being a tight ar$ed round dodger afterwards.

SecretFly wrote:Passing to a prop forward in open play

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xJaXdYQ-1o

Not bad for a fat lad, but the defenders did rather get out of his way (btw my comment was aimed more at 'traditional' prop forwards in the amateur ranks rather than the occasional professional prop that can actually run and catch).

dummy_half wrote:

SecretFly wrote:Passing to a prop forward in open play

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xJaXdYQ-1o

Not bad for a fat lad, but the defenders did rather get out of his way (btw my comment was aimed more at 'traditional' prop forwards in the amateur ranks rather than the occasional professional prop that can actually run and catch).

Oh I know the kind of character you were on about. I just thought if funny that I could come up with a contradiction to the rule so quickly. I just keyed in prop and try on youtude to see what might come out.

I wanted to vote for swearing back chat to the ref, or anyone refering to Hartley as a rugby player (as an avid England supporter time for him to be rested long term me thinks). Alas couldn't choose either

Anything to do with damaging eyes deliberately or trying to cause deliberate injury.

Most rugby players know they'll be punched a couple of times in a match and often respond in kind. However gouging or deliberately causing injury has no place in our game and any guilty parties should be banned for life no matter how good they're supposed to be.

It has to be gouging. Cowardly.

For me the unforgiveables are eye gouging, biting and squeezing of gentlemans area.

They can all cause real lasting damage and are the lowest things you can do on the pitch.

Blunt strikes with fists etc. happen as the red mist descends. Its bad but the above trio are things which should not enter the mind of anyone.

Murder, I'd reckon.......

Stuffing up a three man overlap with the line beckoning by trying to cut inside the last defender & getting tackled.

Has to be Neath's strategy V Australia in 1992 of using Bag-Snatching to disrupt Australia's forwards in the maul and rucks.

The worst thing about the two Kiwis spear tackling BOD is that they got away with it. Plus they didn't apologise.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsXJyDHFKn0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_rM0W-GSBo

On the other hand Schalk Burger's gouge was the worst on this list.

Being three times his size and weight but still being tackled 5m from the line by Shane Williams.