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Ex-Wasps lock Douglas cops ban for a pre-season red card in France

01 Sep 2021

(Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

Levi Douglas will miss the opening three rounds of the new Pro D2 season for his new club Grenoble after he was banned for three weeks following a red card in a recent pre-season friendly match versus divisional rivals Oyonnax.

Douglas created headlines last May when Gallagher Premiership club Wasps allowed him to take up a short-term offer at Toulon and he went on to play three times in the Top 14 before the end of the 2020/21 season.

The 26-year-old second row has since moved onto Grenoble but his hopes of hitting the ground running with his new club have been hampered by his 73rd minute pre-season sending off on August 20, a dismissal that has resulted in Douglas missing last week’s round one home defeat to Oyonnax, this Friday’s round two trip to Vannes and the September 9 home meeting versus Agen.

The strong culture that binds the Black Ferns

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The strong culture that binds the Black Ferns

A statement from league officials in France read: “Levi Douglas was found responsible for ‘dangerous play’ and in particular ‘hitting an opponent with the forearm’. The average degree of the severity scale was used and it was a six-week suspension.

“After taking into account the mitigating circumstances (clean disciplinary record, expression of remorse, conduct before and during the hearing), the sanction was reduced by three weeks. Consequently, Douglas is suspended for three weeks. As of September 1, and given the schedule of Grenoble, he will be re-qualified on Friday, September 10.”

"He is an All Black and you can see why"
– Vaea Fifita has quickly got down to work at Wasps ahead of the new Premiership season in England https://t.co/7TgILENN2N
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 1, 2021

It was May 1 when it emerged that Wasps boss Lee Blackett had allowed the second row head to Toulon until the end of the season as a medical joker despite the ACL injury suffered by skipper Joe Launchbury.

Douglas had appeared off the bench in the previous weekend’s win over Bath as a replacement for the stricken Launchbury, whose serious injury ruined his hopes of selection for the Lions tour to South Africa. The English lock provided cover at Toulon for the injured Brian Alainu’uese and he then decided to remain in France and continue his career there this season with Grenoble.

"Lawrence Dallaglio had a conversation with Mitch and Mitch said he was available and it went from there…"
– Ex-England assistant John Mitchell is 18 years older than Lee Blackett and the Kiwi's stellar CV is very different to that of Wasps' rookie boss https://t.co/s7GR4QWrM0
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 31, 2021

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GS 3 minutes ago

James O'Connor, the Lions and the great club v country conundrum

Whilst I dislike what is occurring with the French clubs, they are not the only parties involved in this activity. You can also look to Ireland and its “Project Player” Scheme, or how Scotland picks players with zero background who have never lived in Scotland.

But market forces will dictate where players will end up.

If RA wants to retain these players, then it should offer them remuneration in line with or better than what the French clubs can. The NZRFU should have offered Aki, Lowe, or Fergus Burke a higher salary than what was offered by the likes of Irish Rugby, Sacarens, etc., if it wanted to retain them.

These kids going to France and the aforementioned Kiwi players are attempting to build a career and financial security in a career that can end with one injury. Think about that—one bad injury, and your career is over, so just like anyone, they have to make the smart, informed decision that is right for them and their families.

If the likes of Oz and NZ can’t or are not prepared to match the $$$, so be it - this is the reality of professional rugby, and whilst it turns the international game into a glorified club comp, I’m not sure if there is any solution.

And let’s remember it’s not all negative. This movement of players from Nth to South gives kids like Blair Murray or Taine Plumtree the ability to earn good $$ and experience international rugby, when let’s face it, they would at best be on the fringes of a Super Rugby squad - so it’s not all bad!

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JH 9 minutes ago

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..and most telling. How many Kiwis and Aussies are propping up the Samoan and Tongan sides these days. Even Fiji has some, although compared to those two, they’re relatively light on the poaching.

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JH 11 minutes ago

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JH 14 minutes ago

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Think you’ll find MP is set up to poach Kiwi and Aussie born players. That’s why most of their roster is NZers and based in NZ.

Also AB’s one of the most-home grown sides in international rugby, with most of their ‘foreign’ players having come here as kids with their parents. You can’t say the same for the Tongan and Samoan squads these days, which much like MP, are filled with Kiwis and Aussies. So, who is poaching from who. Exactly. You’re welcome.

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BH 48 minutes ago

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What a douchey comment, but I’ll bite. Pacific Islanders have been coming to New Zealand to live and work to provide for their families for generations. Of course there are players that are going to represent NZ at some point. Unlike some other countries. Meanwhile, how many Kiwis are in the Irish team? A few Saffas walking around in Scotland. How many Africans in the English team? How many New Caledonians and PI players in the French team? Should the Dutch South African players go back to representing Holland? It’s a global sport.

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