Super Rugby Pacific: Western Force suspend players for drinking wine on a flight
Andrew Ready of Western Force is sent off for punching during the Super Rugby match between the New South Wales Waratahs and Western Force at Bankwest Stadium in Sydney, Friday, March 5, 2021. (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY ** STRICTLY EDITORIAL USE ONLY, NO COMMERCIAL USE, NO BOOKS **
The Western Force have suspended two players for drinking on their return flight from Melbourne to Perth last weekend after the Force’s match against the Rebels.
The senior leadership group decided to make hooker Andrew Ready and wing Byron Ralston unavailable for selection against the Reds on Friday.
Wallabies front-row Greg Holmes was also part of the group who drank wine on the flight but limited depth at tighthead meant he was not suspended from selection, however, a penalty is being decided for the veteran.
Leadership decision
The trio ordered wine with their meal on the plane and even though general manager Matt Hodgson confirmed there was no drunken behaviour on the flight, their actions – to be drinking in uniform and on a six-day turnaround – were still seen as unacceptable by their team-mates.
As a result, Ready and Ralston will miss the Force’s first home game of the year that will have a total of 8 000 spectators in attendance against the Brisbane-based outfit.
“They weren’t drunk or intoxicated on the plane, they each had one to two glasses of wine with their meals, but this was a player-led decision and it was determined that because we were wearing Force uniforms and with the short turnaround between games they shouldn’t have been drinking,” Hodgson told News Corp.
“This is very much part of setting the standards for the culture we’re trying to build here.
“And I can’t fault the reaction of the three players, they made the decision to stand themselves down from selection this week.
“They addressed the entire playing group on the first day back to training on Monday, apologised for their choices, and then ripped into training and really helped the guys who are stepping up to replace them.”
Both suspended players came off the bench in the Force’s bonus-point win over the Rebels in Melbourne with Ralston scoring the try which secured his team their bonus point.
Hooker Jack Winchester comes in for Ready in the Force’s matchday squad while Ralston is replaced by Grason Makara, who could make his Super Rugby debut.
“It is a big honour to play for the Western Force, and this match is a huge occasion because it’s the 200th game for the club, and we are playing in front of the sea of blue,” said Hodgson.
The Force were unsure at the beginning of the season whether they would play any home fixtures due to the Omicron outbreak and even moved games in Round One – against the Brumbies – and Round Four – against the Waratahs – from home to away.
The Western Australia Government has since opened up the state and the Perth-based side will play their first home game in front of fans since May last year.
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