Is rugby too reliant on alcohol sponsorship money? Paul Rees takes a look in The Guardian.
"One of the conclusions of those who answered a questionnaire from the task force set up to investigate cheating in rugby was that a win-at-all-costs mentality increased the risk of players succumbing to the temptation of drink and drugs.
"One player called for a restructuring of the domestic season, arguing that: "Boys are probably getting mentally fatigued with the length of the competition and looking for their own ways of freshening up." Sponsors provide a means, with the English and Celtic leagues and European rugby's premier club competition all sponsored by companies associated with alcohol. After the boos comes the booze.
"In England, the Illicit Drugs Working Group is working with Premier Rugby and the Professional Rugby Players' Association, in association with Diageo, the company that owns Guinness, to highlight the consequences of illicit drug-taking and irresponsible drinking. While the dangers of recreational drugs have been highlighted by high-profile cases this year, there is a perception that such indulgence is a corollary of drinking to excess.
"Are rugby's administrators sending out the wrong message by relying on the largesse of the likes of Guinness, Magners and Heineken? Should the British government follow their French counterpart and legislate against alcohol producers sponsoring sports, where would rugby union turn? The British Medical Association last month called for a ban on all alcohol advertising, including sport and music sponsorship, arguing that alcohol was one of the leading causes of death and disability."
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