RUGBY:THE EUROPEAN Rugby Cup are to investigate Stade Francais director of rugby Michael Cheika after complaints made against him following last month's Amlin Challenge Cup final defeat to Harlequins.
The ERC said yesterday the Australian is alleged to have made comments of an insulting/offensive/disparaging/intimidatory nature to match officials during the half-time break, and that he did the same to an ERC staff member after the full-time whistle.
Stade were unhappy with a number of decisions made during the game which they lost 19-18, with Cheika saying in his post-match press conference: “Once again we came undone due to the shortcomings of, you know. I don’t think I should say it because I will only get in trouble.”
Wales scrumhalf Mike Phillips has joined Bayonne after the Ospreys agreed to release him.
Phillips (28), had lobbied Ospreys officials to let him move on, and Bayonne yesterday confirmed he has signed a two-year contract with them, with the option for a third year.
The announcement was made on their website.
Former Llanelli and Cardiff Blues star Phillips joined Ospreys in 2007 and the following year helped Wales win the Grand Slam in the Six Nations. His star continued to rise and he played for the Lions against South Africa in 2009.
Before he agreed to join Bayonne, Phillips was pinpointed as a possible signing by Welsh rugby league outfit Crusaders. He was excluded from Ospreys’ team for much of the season, and was determined to get away.
Phillips, a fixture in Warren Gatland’s plans, was named earlier this month in Wales’ 45-man provisional World Cup squad.
England’s Rugby Football Union, without a chief executive or performance director, is due further woe after it was forecast to lose more than €11.3 million next year.
The RFU is on course to make a profit of around €7.4 million this year, but 2012 will be different because there will be no November internationals to swell income, only two home matches in the Six Nations compared to this year’s three, and UK Sport has cut its grant by more than €1 million.
The loss in the year after the 2007 World Cup was around €7 million. The RFU would have played three friendly internationals at Twickenham in November if there had not been a World Cup, yielding up to €20 million.
