Plymouth Albion criticise RFU for 'Dickensian authoritarian arrogance' over points deduction
Plymouth Albion RFC have hit out at the Rugby Football Union for imposing a points deduction and withholding £20,000 in travel expenses. The club’s owner Dave Venables described the sanction for an administrative error as “Dickensian authoritarian arrogance”.
The club who play in the National One league – the third tier of English domestic rugby - will start the 2020-21 season on minus-five points, with a further 15-point deduction suspended after being found guilty by the RFU of ticking the incorrect ‘Yes-No’ box in relation to ‘material benefits’ being paid to players during the curtailed 2019-20 season.
The punishment also, according to club, excludes Plymouth Albion for applying for any special support from the RFU for two years.
In an open letter to fans published on the club’s website on Tuesday, managing director Max Venables, son of owner Dave, wrote: “We are very much still in opposition to the draconian sanctions imposed by the RFU for the administrative error of this time last year.”
"It's akin to strapping a medieval soldier to a gun carriage wheel and whipping him, in-front of his company, simply for failing to polish all his tunic buttons," Plymouth's owner said.
According to The Rugby Paper, Max sought clarification from the RFU three days before their deadline of submission but that Plymouth were told that the declaration could not be amended as disciplinary proceedings had already begun.
However, the RFU told Telegraph Sport in a statement: “It is correct that Plymouth Albion were charged with a breach of RFU Regulation 7 in relation to their Payment of Players declaration for the 2018-19 season.
“The matter was heard by an independent panel that, after hearing written and verbal evidence from both parties, found that the club had been highly negligent in making an inaccurate declaration. Four club officers signed a declaration confirming that the declaration was true and accurate.
“As a result of making an inaccurate declaration the club, in accordance with RFU Regulation, were not fined but were deemed ineligible for benefits for the 2019-20 season, a fact that was not disputed by the club.”
In a separate letter to the RFU Dave Venables, who has invested over £400,000 into the club, after Plymouth’s appeal was denied wrote: “Indeed it [the judgement] flies in the face of the ethos, nature and character that once epitomised Rugby Union. It occurs to me that the Disciplinary Committee have behaved with a level of Dickensian authoritarian arrogance.”
The Venables family have said they plan to invite RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney to their Brickfields ground “to see all the work we as a family have done over the last few years and explain, in person, the rationale behind such heavy-handed measures when there were queries from another 100 member clubs about the ambiguous question I mistakenly got wrong!” added Max.
The RFU statement concluded: “Plymouth Albion accepted the findings of the first instance panel but chose to appeal the level of sanction that was imposed. A new independent panel was convened to hear the case and dismissed the appeal.
“The Payment of Players declaration window for the 2019-20 season has now closed and all clubs that have submitted a valid declaration will be eligible for RFU benefits in the 2020-21 season.”
