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'I am aware this was uncalled for' - Cardiff star apologises for Tweet

(Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

Cardiff back Mathew Morgan has apologised for comments he made about the United Rugby Championship (URC)and the Welsh government earlier in the week on social media.

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Morgan was one of a number of Cardiff players touring South Africa who were left stranded in the Rainbow Nation after travel restrictions and an outbreak of Covid-19 in the squad thwarted their return to the UK.

Concern over the new Omicron variant led the UK government to put South Africa on the red list and returnees have to quarantine for 10 days.

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Morgan – clearly frustrated at the predicament he and his team faced – took to social media to vent his frustration.

Morgan tweeted: “What a shambles of a league the URC is. Shocking they dragged us out to South Africa in the first place and can’t even fly us home. And the Welsh government is getting more of a joke day by day. GET US THE FUCK OUT OF HERE YOU CLOWNS.”

The former Wales international – known as Nipper – has now apologised for his ‘out of character’ Tweet.

“As reflection of my previous post, I am aware this was uncalled for and written in heat of the moment, which is out of character for me.

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“It’s been a very stressful, uneasy time for all and my anxiety has been triggered by my heavily pregnant partner back home.

“I apologise for any offence caused and remain grateful for all the continued support.

“Wishing myself and the rest of team a safe journey home and exciting season ahead.”

He titled the Tweet with: “Nipper is the clown”.

https://twitter.com/matthewmorgan23/status/1467100800996593667

The URC stated that they intend for the postponed games to be played this season.

“After a successful beginning to the inaugural URC campaign, the league remains committed to the format and ensuring all games are played. Work has already begun on rescheduling the games postponed in R6 and R7 but it must be made clear that the welfare of our teams and players must come first.”

Earlier in the week the EPCR relaxed player registration rules in response to the plight of four sides who found themselves stranded in South Africa, but stressed that there are no spare weekends to accommodate postponements.

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G
GrahamVF 1 hour ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

"has SA actually EVER helped to develop another union to maturity like NZ has with Japan," yes - Argentina. You obviously don't know the history of Argentinian rugby. SA were touring there on long development tours in the 1950's

We continued the Junior Bok tours to the Argentine through to the early 70's

My coach at Grey High was Giepie Wentzel who toured Argentine as a fly half. He told me about how every Argentinian rugby club has pictures of Van Heerden and Danie Craven on prominent display. Yes we have developed a nation far more than NZ has done for Japan. And BTW Sa players were playing and coaching in Japan long before the Kiwis arrived. Fourie du Preez and many others were playing there 15 years ago.


"Isaac Van Heerden's reputation as an innovative coach had spread to Argentina, and he was invited to Buenos Aires to help the Pumas prepare for their first visit to South Africa in 1965.[1][2] Despite Argentina faring badly in this tour,[2] it was the start of a long and happy relationship between Van Heerden and the Pumas. Izak van Heerden took leave from his teaching post in Durban, relocated to Argentina, learnt fluent Spanish, and would revolutionise Argentine play in the late 1960s, laying the way open for great players such as Hugo Porta.[1][2] Van Heerden virtually invented the "tight loose" form of play, an area in which the Argentines would come to excel, and which would become a hallmark of their playing style. The Pumas repaid the initial debt, by beating the Junior Springboks at Ellis Park, and emerged as one of the better modern rugby nations, thanks largely to the talents of this Durban schoolmaster.[1]"


After the promise made by Junior Springbok manager JF Louw at the end of a 12-game tour to Argentina in 1959 – ‘I will do everything to ensure we invite you to tour our country’ – there were concerns about the strength of Argentinian rugby. South African Rugby Board president Danie Craven sent coach Izak van Heerden to help the Pumas prepare and they repaid the favour by beating the Junior Springboks at Ellis Park.

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