The Guinness Premiership and Heineken Cup are great rugby competitions that England clubs take part in. There is history, tradition and the standard of play (although differing in style) creates equal excitement for fans as their southern hemisphere equivalents.
Club rugby in England has made news headlines for the wrong reasons lately. We saw Bath Rugby club in the spotlight when star England prop Matt Stevens tested positive for recreational drugs and was banned from all rugby for 2 years. Consequently other high profile members quit the west country club because of the drug-related scandal.
Bath's limelight was hugely overshadowed by the "bloodgate" scandal at Harlequins Rugby where Director Dean Richards was seemingly the mastermind behind the use of fake blood capsules.
The only way to get an already substituted player back onto the pitch is to make a blood substitution. Richards, on more than one occasion, instructed the club physio to pass a blood capsule to a player in order to fake a blood injury by biting into it. Everyone found guilty were handed suspensions, some longer than others.
News of this finding shocked rugby circles and put Quins rugby in huge disrepute. However, it is always said that the best way to rectify any mistake in rugby is to show it on the pitch. Start winning and all will be forgiven, well almost all.
England rugby on the National scene are re-building. New manager Martin Johnson is still finding his feet but in my opinion will prove to be a quick learner. All head coaches and heads of teams will have their critics and Johnson has a fair share, but if he starts winning things will change. There is definitely rugby talent in England and it's all about harnessing the talent and producing the results.
As a Springbok rugby fan, I know how frustrating it can be when your team doesn't perform the way they can or should be. My final word for the England rugby fan...patience.
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