James Haskell: A hostage?
Stade Français owner Max Guazzini claims James Haskell is willing to play for the club this weekend but that the RFU are holding him "hostage."
Stade Français host Toulouse at a sold-out Stade de France on Saturday for in crucial Top 14 battle but the Parisians look set to face their arch rivals from the South West without their England loose forward as the RFU refuse to release him.
The French club has strongly refuted the English ruling body's claims that they have an agreement to allow Haskell to be absent from club duty whenever the England camp call on the player's services.
The RFU have yet to provide any proof of such claims and Haskell's Parisian employers have already sent him a written warning about missing training and there are fears that they may take legal action against him for breach of contract.
Reports in the English press suggest that Haskell may take a personal decision to leave the England camp against manager Martin Johnson's wishes to alleviate a back-row injury crisis at Stade Français, who have been without Italy skipper Sergio Parrise for most of the year already due to injury..
"We still hope that he will come back [on Thursday]," Guazzini told the Daily Mail.
"Under IRB law nine, international players are available to national teams for certain periods in the year and this week is not one of those periods. There are players from Scotland and Italy back at clubs this week so why should England decide to treat James Haskell like a hostage?
"It's not true that we've signed an agreement with the RFU. We have never signed any agreement with them. We let James join England for a week before the November Tests and for a week before the Six Nations. We have shown respect to England but the RFU have not shown us any.
"We have a big problem here. The RFU don't pay the French clubs - we pay the player and we need James Haskell because this is a very important match for us. They are acting outside the rules.
"There's no problem with other countries - the French players are all here, the Italians, the Scottish. It's only a problem with England. I cannot understand why they are taking this position."
Comments
wazsere says...
Whatever the truth its a bad PR mess for the RFU ad makes Martin Johnston look that little bit more desperate than maybe he is - But any England player going overseas should have clear contract clauses in place for this sort of situation so public spats like this can be avoided. You sometimes wonder when Rugby will actually turn professional !?!
Posted 00:27 05th March 2010
KiwiRooster says...
Bluelion, I agree the decision has to be the player's at the end of the day but any international willing to play for his country needs the support of its Federation and the RFU is showing none to James Haskell. They are deliberately putting him between a rock and a hard place in order to set an example for other internationals tempted to play outside of England. This is an appalling tactic and certainly a breach of the Laws as Stade Francais will surely demonstrate. When Julien Dupuy was playing for the Leicester Tigers last season, the French Federation supported him and his club right through by releasing him in the middle of the Six Nations twice so he could play against the London Wasps and Gloucester. These were crucial games for Leicester and the FFR showed great understanding unlike the RFU. It is obvious the RFU have deliberately chosen to stick it to Haskell and his club. The lack of decency across the Chanel is shocking, one would expect the Queen to teach a lesson of manner or two to her vassals.
Posted 22:12 04th March 2010
jacques says...
It's a very simple case of blackmail: according to his contract, Haskell has to play for his club but Jonno says: you want to go, fine, but you won't play for England anymore. What can he do?
Posted 17:43 04th March 2010
bluelion says...
The decision is not the RFU's to make. Does Haskell understand his contractual obligations to his employer? If he feels he is fulfilling his contract by not playing with Stade at the week-end then so be it.
Posted 12:53 04th March 2010