funny rugby tour rules

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Tour court punishment

• Thread starter Elburko
• Start date May 7, 2017

Academy Player

• May 7, 2017

heading on tour in a few weeks. One of the lads attending has not played an away game all season, only home games. This will be brought up in court but trying to think of an original punishment which fits the crime. Any suggestions?  

McTallshort

International.

I had to eat lard once  

'Ark at ee mun!

• May 8, 2017

Elburko said: heading on tour in a few weeks. One of the lads attending has not played an away game all season, only home games. This will be brought up in court but trying to think of an original punishment which fits the crime. Any suggestions? Click to expand...

Every Time Ref

It's got nothing to do with that particular crime, but I'm a huge fan of taping people together as a tour punishment. Endless fun to be had with a roll of masking tape on tour!  

Vieux Talonneur

Make him find 20 married women and tell them he doesn't play away from home, but wouldn't mind if they did...... Other options Fine him booze at every turn for breaking tour rules that have been made up in the spot - for wearing a blue shirt, for not wearing a blue shirt.... Make him carry around a cuddly toy (like Itoje's about to ). Set him a challenge like acquiring a sign post, preferably one set in concrete. (c) Dublin 1995. Nick his jeans and run them up the hotel flag pole. Dublin again! My favorite was the Bath trip where one of the guys failed to mention that his 40th birthday fell on tour. Heinous in the extreme, but nothing a quick stop at a charity shop and an over sized judo suit that he had to wear for the rest of the trip couldn't sort out.  

Bench Player

• May 9, 2017

Every time you go into an establishment he has to speak to the manager and offer to buy the place so as he always has a home  

Mackem Falcon

• May 10, 2017

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10 things you absolutely MUST take on rugby tour

• March 11, 2016

Training Team

If you’ve never been on a rugby tour, you’re in for a treat. Rugby tours are about as much fun as you can have in a week / weekend. You get a few days away from the Mrs, a few nights drinking with the boys and if you’re lucky, a bit of rugby in there too.

Rugby tours are where the fun is at. The weekend we look forward to all off-season. But they have a dark side as well. Chances are this will be the one game you play without your mouth guard, the night you lose your phone and trip that gets you in the doghouse. 

The  Ruck Science  team has made all the basics rugby tour mistakes before. And today, we’re giving you a roadmap for avoiding them. These are the 10 things we suggest you absolutely MUST take on rugby tour. Plus a couple of bonus strategies that can help you avoid the most common stuff-ups.

THE RUGBY TRAINING APP

Skip the article - watch the video.

For the purposes of this article, “rugby tour” really means any rugby game that requires at least one night in a hotel. This could be a weekend trip, a week long multi-city debacle or simply a game where you need to stay in a hotel the night before you play because its a long drive. All the same principles apply in these situations. We’ve split the essentials into 4 categories; getting on the field, staying comfortable, staying connected and getting enough sleep. These are the four areas in which you can have the most impact with a few minor additions to your kit bag.

Aside: the photo at the top of the page is taken from the US Embassy in New Zealand and shows the USA Eagles’ squad for the 1908 tour. If USA Rugby had replica jerseys like that for sale, we’d buy one in a heart beat! Your move Nigel. 

GETTING ON THE FIELD

Rugby tours are about much more than rugby. But at some point, you’re going to have to get on the field. Unfortunately, that can often be the hardest part of tour. You haven’t slept enough, people are arriving at different times and there’s generally less coordination than there would be for a home game. But despite all that, you’ve gotta get ready to play. Here are our 3 suggestions for game-day preparation:

Spare Shorts and Socks

How often have you been sitting in the changing rooms only to hear a small voice ask “does anyone have spare ( shorts , socks, boots, mouth guard…)?” More than once we’ll bet. Everyone has done it, but on tour this seems to happen much more often. Either a player has lost a bag traveling, left something at the hotel or just failed to pack properly. It’s going to happen. All you can really do is plan for it to happen by bringing spares. Spare shorts, spare socks and spare boots are essentials on rugby tour. And on the off chance you’re the fool who forgot their shit, don’t make excuses, just own it and remember to bring spares next time.

Strapping Tape

By the middle of the season, most of us are held together by strapping tape. But for some reason we all forget how much we’re going to need it on tour. Perhaps we just get giddy at the thought of going on an airplane.

The clubs that you’ll be playing on rugby tour will almost certainly have a great bunch of guys. Even if you are playing against them. But don’t assume that they’ll provide everything YOU need to get on the field. If you’d usually rely on the team physio for strapping, you probably can’t guarantee this on rugby tour. Take your own strapping tape and be ready to share it because the “borrowers” are going to corner you for it when you’re done.

Portable  Supplements

If you use  supplements to support recovery after rugby  games like  post-rugby , its important to take these with you on tour. But they can’t be the bulky stuff you store on your kitchen counter. There’s nothing funnier than watching a tight head prop try to get through airport security with 5lbs of  whey protein  under his arm. You want to bring a few supplements that you’ve used before and that you know will give you performance and recovery benefits at game time.

RUGBY TRAINING PROGRAM

Staying comfortable.

If you’re like us, you like to be comfortable. But staying comfortable on rugby tour is an inherently difficult thing to do. You’re traveling for one thing, which sucks. You’re carrying around dirty rugby gear, which smells. And you’re probably in a rush to get everywhere. How do you stay comfortable with all those things going on? It’s tough, but here are three things we’ve found useful.

Plastic Bags

After home rugby games, its easy to throw your kit bag in the trunk of the car and forget about it until Tuesday night training. It’s not the best decision in the world. But its definitely one strategy for dealing with the “smell of rugby”. When you’re on rugby tour however, you need to carry around your disgusting gear for hours or potentially days. There are 3 ways to deal with this:

• You can clean your stuff.  Lets just admit this right now, you’re not going to clean anything on rugby tour. If you would, you’re a one in a million.
• You can throw your stuff away.  It’s effective in the short-term. But its not the most sustainable solution, especially when you need it next week.
• You can wrap everything in plastic bags. 

The last of those options is clearly the best. You get to keep your stuff and avoid the smell of rugby gear. We suggest bringing at least two plastic bags. Because as with socks and boots, someone is going to forget theirs and you’ll need to supply one for them.

An Old Towel

We know, you’re going to just grab a towel at the hotel, right? You couldn’t possibly forget to do that when you’re late for the bus and running to the elevator, could you? Before you leave your house for rugby tour, grab the oldest towel you can find. Not the fancy one in the guest bathroom, put that back!

You want a towel that fulfills 2 requirements; 1. your wife won’t know its gone and 2. you won’t care if it gets left on tour. Ideally you want to bring a towel that you can throw away as soon as you’ve used it. What happens when you don’t have a towel? It gets ugly. Just trust us. The best bet is to actually pack your towel at the very bottom of your kit bag before you put anything else in. Towel first, everything else second.

Flip Flops / Thongs

STAYING CONNECTED

Wall charger.

Unless you have the ability to work remotely, we don’t recommend that you take a laptop on rugby tour. It’s just one more thing that can get lost, stolen or broken by a drunken teammate falling in the dark. For those of you who charge your cell phone with a USB cable in your car or computer, this presents a problem. The solution is super-simple though. Buy / take a wall charger with you. Don’t rely on a teammate. Don’t assume someone will have the charger you need. This is especially true if you’re somehow still using a Blackberry. Make sure you have the ability to plug your phone into a wall and leave it there to juice-up. Forgetting to do this leads to all manner of other problems caused by miscommunication.

Headphones are an essential travel tool, but they’re an even more important rugby tour tool. Teammates don’t stop talking. Depending on your mood at the time, that can be either a good or a bad thing. Do you need to listen to music constantly? Not necessarily. But having the option is absolutely crucial. You don’t want to get stuck in a conversation about politics, religion or any other touchy subject if you don’t have to. Stick your headphones on and avoid the drama.

20-1-20 PROGRAM

Total preparation for rugby, getting enough sleep.

Every rugby player needs quality sleep in order to have a good performance on game day. But too few of us plan for the sleeping situation we’re going to have on rugby tour. You’re likely to be sharing a room, or even a bed with another dude. And that can be difficult at the best of times. Factor in the appalling pillows and mattresses in most hotel rooms and you’ve got a recipe for 3 hours of shitty, interrupted sleep. Here’s how you solve the problem:

Chewable Melatonin 

Buy some foam ear plugs. You can get them at the airport. You might not need them, but when you do you’ll thank us. On the other hand, if you know yourself to be a snorer, bringing ear plugs to give to your roommates is about the best move you can make. Anyone THAT considerate is a team player for sure. 

PRO TIPS FOR TOUR

Strictly-speaking these last two items aren’t “things” you should take on rugby tour. But they are strategies we highly recommend you follow. We’ve heard all the stories of missed flights and lost bags. When it comes to travel, its important to eliminate as many potential errors as possible. Here are two ways to do that. 

Don’t Check Your Kit Bag

Things get lost when traveling. You can’t stop an airline from messing up. But you can try to minimize the impact of lost bags. If you’re taking two bags on your rugby tour, we highly recommend that you carry your kit bag on the plane and check the one that doesn’t have your boots in it. There is quite literally nothing worse than arriving in a city on tour and having to run around to sports stores looking for some studs because your airline sent your kit bag “international”. On the way home, this is less of an issue, but if you haven’t played your game yet, keep your boots on you at all times. 

Arrive Early, Leave Late

You have to get back for work on Monday and you want the Mrs to give you a bit of a break when you arrive. So you book the Sunday-afternoon 6pm flight, don’t you? Error. Huge error. You’ve just saved yourself $200 on a flight and hotel and caused yourself a whole bunch of other stress. Kickoff will get pushed back an hour and you won’t be able to get a cab to the airport. So now you’ve missed your flight and you’re going to end up staying a extra night anyway. 

Its very very tempting to take the cheaper, earlier flight home, but you shouldn’t do this. The same way you shouldn’t expect that the last-minute arrival flight is going to work any better. Any delays and you’ve missed your game. Take the responsibility out of the hands of the airlines altogether and arrive a day early and leave a day late. If this means taking a day off work, do it. If this means sharing a bed for the Sunday night, do that too. Enjoy your tour, ruggers!

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Hilarious Rugby Quotes (Funniest 16)

Here is our collection of the funniest quotes from the world of rugby.

They come from 19 th -century playwrights up to current rugby players and coaches. If you don’t laugh, you lose!

Table of Contents

Funny Rugby Quotes From Writers And Comedians

We’ll start with Oscar Wilde, the famed comic playwright who penned “The Importance Of Being Earnest”.

Rugby is a good occasion for keeping thirty bullies far from the center of the city. Oscar Wilde

Unlike Wilde, fellow Irishman and playwright Spike Milligan enjoyed playing rugby. Well, he puts it his schoolboy playing days like this:

What always attracted me was the thrill – some would say the sheer brown-trouser terror – of running out knowing nothing about your opponents. Humiliation or glory, pain or ecstasy, lie ahead. But which will it be?

During the Second World War, Milligan played rugby with the 56 th Heavy Regiment, which he described as full of “mad hard-drinking Welshmen”.

He fit right in on the drinking side and made the most of his small but nippy stature on the field.

Rugby is a game for big buggers. if you’re not a big bugger, you get hurt. I wasn’t a big bugger but I was a fast bugger and therefore I avoided the big buggers. Spike Milligan

Peter Cook was a satirist and actor who had a somewhat different attitude to his school-playing days.

Playing rugby at school I once fell on a loose ball and, through ignorance and fear, held on despite a fierce pummelling. After that, it took me months to convince my teammates I was a coward. Peter Cook

Amusing Quotes By Rugby Coaches

We seldom get to hear about the times when coaches dish out a verbal lashing to players in the privacy of the training ground.

But here’s one that did the rounds in Ireland.

Eddie O’Sullivan was the Ireland coach and he hauled his forwards over the coals in a training session. He was angry about how they were protecting rucks and presenting the ball to the scrumhalf.

Peter Stringer was the Irish scrumhalf at the time. O’Sullivan shouted at the pack:

“ Stringer may as well be looking for a Mars bar in a bucket of s**t. “

In 2017, coach Warren Gatland appointed legendary lock Alun Wyn Jones as captain of Wales. The coach remarked with a wry smile:

Since he’s been captain we don’t have as many fights at training because he used to start most of them.

Best/worst coach quote of all time

But my all-time favorite quote from a national coach was by Brian Ashton in 1998. The Englishman was appointed coach of Ireland but things didn’t go his way.

After a disappointing loss to Scotland in which the players seemed to have met for the first time on the team bus, journalists asked Ashton about Ireland’s tactics.

Ashton took public responsibility for the loss…oh wait…he did the opposite. This was his pithy comment:

I don’t know whose game plan that was out there but it wasn’t mine.

I laughed out loud when I heard this. The IRFU weren’t so amused and made this his last match in charge.

Only the French can say stuff like this

France won the Grand Slam in 2010 with former player Marc Lievrement as national coach.

It’s not always easy when a microphone is thrust in front of an emotional coach after the match.

But Lievrement was perfectly understandable about how he felt about winning the trophy.

It is a very nice baby, even if the birth was quite difficult.

Hilarious Quotes By Rugby Players

David Campese was an Australian winger who bamboozled both the opposition and his own teammates. Nobody knew what he was going to do on a rugby pitch.

Nick Farr Jones, the Wallaby captain, was convinced that this included the player himself.

He’s the sort of player whose brain doesn’t always know where his legs are carrying him.

England scrumhalf Austin Healy had toured with the Lions in 2001 but was writing a sports column for The Guardian by the time 2005 came around.

Healy was singularly unimpressed by the coaching after the first Lions test loss in New Zealand. He pointed the finger at assistant coach Andy Robinson.

Have you heard the latest from the Lions camp? Clive Woodward is sending Andy Robinson to a fancy-dress party tonight. He’s going as a pumpkin. They’re hoping at midnight he’ll turn into a coach.

England caused a shock by failing to reach the quarterfinals of the 2015 World Cup on their home soil.

South African Schalk Brits cheekily urged downcast English supporters to switch allegiances for the duration of the tournament.

We play a similar style of rugby to England but we have better-looking players.

Brian Moore is now a renowned rugby commentator. Of course, he was a feared front row forward for England and Harlequins. Here’s a compliment from footballer Paul Randall:

I think Brian Moore’s gnashers are the kind you get from a DIY shop and hammer in yourself. He is the only player we have who looks like a French forward.

Back in 1979, legendary Irish back Mike Gibson was asked to do a write-up for a match program.

Gibson had his tongue firmly in cheek when he wrote this about Tony Ward, the Ireland flyhalf and goal kicker.

Tony Ward is the most important rugby player in Ireland. His legs are far more important to his country than even those of Marlene Dietrich were to the film industry. A little hairier, maybe, but a pair of absolute winners.

Hilarious Quotes From Older Times

These still have us laughing.

Sir Tasker Watkins was a deputy Lord Chief Justice. He was also a rugby player who went on to be President of the Welsh Rugby Union.

Here’s a quip from the esteemed Welshman:

In 1823, William Webb Ellis first picked up the ball in his arms and ran with it. And for the next 156 years forwards have been trying to work out why.

Clarrie Gibbons was a  renowned rugby coach in Wellington, Australia. This is an amusing quote that makes you think for a moment.

A forward’s usefulness to his side varies as to the square of his distance from the ball.

If you haven’t worked it out, he’s telling forwards to keep up with the ball!

Dennis Ibbotson was a tough Gloucester flanker who held the role of the backline in high esteem.

Or perhaps not. This is the notice that he put up on the dressingroom wall:

The Holy Writ of Gloucester Rugby Club demands: first, that the forwards shall win the ball; second, that the forwards shall keep the ball; and third, the backs shall buy the beer.

Rugby Quotes Quiz!

Think you know your rugby?

Let's see if you can match the quote to the player or coach!

Here are seven quotes. How well will you do?

Your answer:

Correct answer:

Your Answers

Want More Laughs?

All the quotes in this article are from real life. But if you want more chuckles, here is our list of the best rugby puns .

And if you want a full book of rugby jokes, we’ve got just the answer:

Love a good laugh? Check out our book of Best Rugby Jokes on Amazon – a hilarious collection of quips, jokes, and one liners.

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• Guide To An Epic Rugby Tour

A few important things to think about if you're planning your teams next tour.  

The Rugby Tour

A fantastic tradition of our great game, the rugby tour forms an integral part of a rugby players development and, let's be honest, is there really anything better than travelling with your mates to a foreign country to test your abilities and forge life-long friendships? 

Let The Rugby Tour Specialists take you through our free guide to help you on your journey to organise a memorable tour for your club.

Choosing Your Destination

First up, how would you like to travel the three contrasting options available to most teams are by coach, ferry & flights. all offer something completely different but are integral to how the tour comes together. once you have decided how you wish to travel, you can really start to narrow down your options.  , it's no secret that some destinations are more expensive than others. whatever your budget is, it is crucial that you are getting value for money. the destinations we work in cover a wide range of budgets but all offer outstanding experiences on and off the pitch. , what dates do you have in mind, the general rule is, the more flexible you are the greater your options will be. it is always worth considering what might be going on in your proposed destination over those dates. is there a pro-fixture on that weekend for example , for inspiration see  our destinations . , decide where to stay, we believe in 3 ways to lay your head at the end of a long-days touring. for us, i t's all about location when it comes to choosing your venues. make sure to select an accommodation option that will ensure you are best-placed to get the most our of your tour-base. , who says that budget means boring not us, hostels these days are excellent & busting with cool little touches that will make your stay fun, safe and on-budget. the hostels we recommend are all about location - you'll fall-out into your locations highlights. don't for one minute think you'll be bunking down with a load of strangers - you'll be sharing en-suite rooms of 4, 6 and occasionally 8 with your team-mates. breakfast, wifi, social rooms and even some entertainment will be on offer., central locations, wifi, en-suites and even gyms and pools at some. sleep soundly after a hard day’s exploring in same sex twin-share rooms that put comfort centre stage, or upgrade to your own room for a few extra $$ if privacy is more your thing., synonymous with the rugby tour since the dawn of (touring) time, an overnighter with your hosts is an incredible way to live the local life & make some great mates along the way., rugby experience, we here at sky high sports are a strong believer that above all, it is the rugby experience that your team will look back on with fond memories and take forward with them for the rest of their rugby careers.  i t often becomes easy to get lost in the complex travel and accommodation logistics and even easier to forget about the all important rugby experiences that will be the true highlight of your tour., the fixtures, you could be travelling 1000's of miles and investing a huge amount of time and money into your trip. who wants to turn up and get hammered whilst there is no exact science in getting it bang-on, we have combined our rugby anorak of knowledge, with a 25-point check-list, which we've developed over the past 10 years, to take as many variables out of the fixture-equation as possible. from asking about items such as the number of representative players in your squad, to your win-loss record in your home area & tallying it with the increasing number of comparative clubs we've worked with, we're generally not too far off the mark. (drop us a message at  [email protected] , we'd be happy to share it with you) from getting you off the plane with an easy one, to lining up an end-of-tour test-match it is important to get the fixtures right. over the years we have worked with some outstanding host clubs who appreciate and understand the importance of looking after rugby tourists, and this will often turn a good tour into a great one., pro-player experiences, the opportunity to learn from the best in the business is something we will always recommend on a rugby tour. pro-coaching experiences from international players in professional environments offer something unique opportunity to hone your teams skills ahead of the tough tests to come, whilst private q&a sessions allow the team to get a glimpse into the life of the professional rugby player. we have been lucky enough to work with some great guys over the years. whether it be scotland back-row hamish watson in edinburgh, italian legend marco bortolami in venice, or former-international winger tim visser in the netherlands, we would be delighted to assist in this area. , match tickets & stadium tours, you've played some great games, trained on world-class facilities & met some legends, it is now time to see the big game in action & visit the iconic match venues. stadium tours of the principality, murrayfield, twickenham & the aviva are brilliant inclusions to any tour. but if you can get your hands on tickets to either a premiership, pro-14 or international match your tour will become a once-in-a-lifetime experience.  (top pro-fixtures 2021 coming soon) , get in touch, form was submitted successfully.

Thank you for contacting us. We will be in touch as soon as possible.

• Rugby Weekly
• Editor's Picks
• Behind the Lines

It may look like fun and games, but Kangaroo Courts play a serious role on Lions tours

FATHER’S DAY — ON 18 June in case you had forgotten — will prove that there are a lot of books written about Lions tours.

Some are great, some — as the returns section in Easons will likely attest on 19 June — are not so great.

But few ever go into a huge amount of detail about what happens at Kangaroo Courts, usually because those tasked with writing books about Lions tours are also the most likely to fall ‘victim’ to this particular brand of justice.

One exception is Brian Moore’s book — What Goes On Tour, Stays On Tour — which explains the concept and describes how court sittings would usually take place after each Test, sometimes occurring in makeshift courtrooms on buses or planes.

There’s no such thing as a perfect Kangaroo Court, because you often have to make the best of your circumstances whether on a flight or in the team hotel.

However, besides the accused, it should always involve six key components; a judge, prosecuting counsel, court clerk, enforcers, defence counsel and a chief sneak.

1. The Judge

Ideally, this role will be held by someone who is universally popular on tour so that everyone respects his decisions and abides by them. Usually this role doesn’t fall to the captain in an effort to show that nobody is “above the law.”

It is also the judge’s role to decide what the punishments should be and can range from drinking fines to forfeits involving wigs and fancy dress.

2. The Defence Counsel 

Sometimes the defendant might want to argue his own case, but more often than not he’s going to be represented by another member of the touring party.

Unlike an episode of Matlock, this role in a Kangaroo Court is generally accepted as helping the court to find the player guilty.

3. The Prosecuting Counsel

Perhaps the easiest role in the Kangaroo Court set-up, this player will again be a respected member of the tour group and tasked with ensuring a successful prosecution.

Prosecutors who don’t get their man normally face a forfeit of their own.

4. The Court Clerk

Playing an essential role in organising the day’s proceedings, the clerk’s job is to read out the charges against each defendant and keep the session rolling along.

A senior member of the tour party normally takes this job.

5. The Enforcers

The clue is in the name as somebody has to enforce the punishments handed out by the judge.

It usually falls to the second-row forwards to take this job as the biggest men on tour.

6. The Chief Sneak

The poisoned chalice of Kangaroo Court jobs, the chief sneak is the person whose role it is to give information on potential cases to the court officials.

However, he has to be careful who he decides to report on as he might not want to annoy anyone who could have a say in his selection for a Test match.

The court in action

That’s the make-up of a Kangaroo Court, but what does it actually look like in action?

Well, outside of the world of tour diaries, the court phenomenon really came to public attention 20 years ago, during the 1997 British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa with the release of the documentary, Living With Lions.

The Honourable Judge Keith Wood presiding:

While the above footage hasn’t aged particularly well, the concept of the court lives on.

Though we don’t know who is playing what role in 2017, we do know that English prop Kyle Sinckler is likely to face justice after he got carried away during a table tennis game during the Lions’ first week in New Zealand.

The 19 stone prop is understood to have been desperate to return serve at the team hotel, but tripped and fell on to the table which broke under his weight.

While we don’t know what his punishment might be, we do know the court will continue to revolve around fancy dress, drinking — though maybe not as much as 20 years ago — and, perhaps most importantly for a group of players who spend two months every year trying to beat each other, team-bonding.

A bonding experience

The importance of team bonding should not be overlooked says Dr. Ciara Losty, a lecturer in Applied Sport and Exercise Psychology at  Waterford Institute of Technology and who has worked with many Irish Olympians ahead of both the London and Rio Games.

“The thing about the Kangaroo Court is that it’s fun, that’s the main thing I’d take away from the examples I’ve read about and seen,” she told  The42 this week.

“It’s about the group setting their own culture and norms and really creating that whole ‘band of brothers’ spirit on the tour.

There’s a famous quote from Martin Johnson that goes ‘forget your nationality, you’re all Lions now’ and that adds to the uniqueness of the group.

“The Kangaroo Court is something that’s unique to rugby and, once it’s done in good spirits and everyone enjoys it — which they seem to do — it really creates the ties that help bond the team together,” says Dr. Losty who has just help launch an  MSc in Applied Sport and Exercise Psychology in WIT .

After a defeat like today’s, a Kangaroo Court session might be exactly what the team needs to regroup but also key will be different personality types coming to the fore.

“It’s not a simple as introvert and extrovert. Personalities are far more complex than that and it’s actually the accepting of other people’s personalities that’s key to team spirit.

“Working as part of a team comes down to suspending judgement, empathising with each other and working to your team-mates’ strengths.

“In a group like the Lions you have to accept other people’s differences — maybe in terms of how they prepare or how they react to adversity — and you just roll with those differences.

“It’s not opposite attracts in situations like this, it’s the exact opposite. Even traveling on the bus to a game — you’ll have nervous talkers and nervous non-talkers — so it’s important to put the talkers all together, etc.”

Dr. Losty also says that no team contains the perfect mix of personalities but you’ll generally find with groups like the Lions that bonding between players will occur if facilitated by the coaching staff.

“Teams don’t exist in perfect universes so you’ll never get every type of personality but you will definitely get clear leaders — the ones with the strong communication skills who are very clear of the team goals.

“Sometimes you’ll see their mental strength is such that it helps them to push themselves physically to the limit too and are willing to step up in do-or-die situations and maybe kick that last-minute penalty, etc.

“You also have more team-orientated players. You’d often hear coaches saying ‘oh, he’s just a really good guy to have around the team’ and they might not be the big initiators but they are more than happy to follow along and buy into the process.”

And, as long as Lions tours continue, so too will the process of team-bonding through Kangaroo Courts.

Whether or not we read or see  exactly what forfeits are handed out in future, remains to be seen.

‘It was the greatest tour I was ever on but there’s still a huge amount of pain and regret’

Pressure mounts on gatland’s lions as brilliant blues win in style.

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'Cheating on our girls is allowed... We must boast about how rich we are': City boys are ruled offside after rugby tour 'rules' email goes viral

• The group of young friends, who call themselves G4, drew up the list ahead of their trip to the Dubai Sevens rugby tournament
• Rules say they must boast about their parents' wealth, while phoning their girlfriends is outlawed

By Neil Sears for the Daily Mail Updated: 19:55 EDT, 9 February 2012

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The quartet of City high-fliers  no doubt wanted to keep their wayward rugby tour antics under wraps.

But unfortunately, they made the mistake of emailing a list of their lurid ‘tour rules’ to their friends.

Within days, the email went ‘viral’ and it has now been seen around the world.

Bristol University graduate James Hill (left) is the 'President' of the group, while City lawyer Daniel England (right) has been given the title of Vice Captain

George Boulton-Lea (left with a female friend) is a self-styled 'party animal' while Rory Jones (right) 'can be compared to a true Viking warrior', according to the memo

The four drew up their checklist ahead of their trip to the Dubai Sevens rugby tournament next month.

It included plans to have and photograph group sex acts, to chant about their wealth and drink heavily while being offensive to local residents.

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After spanning the globe, the email has heaped embarrassment on the group and their employers, which they proudly named in pen portraits of themselves.

Last night the top law firm employing the ‘vice captain’ of the group, solicitor Daniel England, 27, had begun an inquiry into the offensive email.

The rest of the group are ‘president’ James Hill, 27, an international insurance broker, ‘senior vice-president’ George Boulton-Lea, 24, a ship broker, and ‘captain’ Rory Jones, 27, a marketing executive in Singapore.

The saga began when the four, calling themselves G4, shared their ‘tour rules’ by email. It began with an endorsement of infidelity – ‘Cheating is allowed’ – and went on to say ‘No anti-lad behaviour allowed ie calling girlfriends, being nice to random expats’, before becoming even more offensive.

The rules include, at point (v) ‘Compulsory gunning of parents’ affairs’ – meaning that whenever one of the group mentions an affair involving another’s parents, he will have to swallow an agreed portion of alcohol as a forfeit.

Another says ‘Chants about your surrounding environment, being oily and how rich we are, are compulsory’.

They vowed they would be ‘Mentioning parents salaries once a day’ before saying that cameras would only be allowed underwater, or to film group sex acts ‘for evidential purposes’.

The ‘rules’ go on to declare that during group sex acts, they must degrade the woman involved, and ‘high-five’ each other throughout.

Mr Hill, an old boy of Tonbridge School in Kent, Mr Boulton-Lea, who attended Epsom College, and Mr Jones and Mr England, who both went to the City of London Freemen’s School, were yesterday unavailable for comment.

MR MUSCLE, THE PARTY ANIMAL, THE VIKING AND THE LOOKER: G4 IN THEIR OWN WORDS

James Hill President (pictured left)

James is a Terrorism and Political Violence Insurance Broker at Willis.

His responsibilities focus on reviewing submissions, structuring, servicing and placing Terrorism insurance and reinsurance in the London, Singapore and overseas marketplaces.

James attained First Class Honours at the University of Bristol where he was also an active member of the University of Bristol Rugby Club and University of Bristol Squash Club.

James attended Tonbridge School where he played Rugby, Hockey, Cricket and Rackets to a very high standard.

He is a remarkably good looking individual who is permanently tanned and has an extremely muscular body.

Due to his age and competency he will be President of the G4 and will be respected by his peers at all times – no one doubts his ability to stay strong throughout the tour.

George Boulton-Lea Senior Vice President (second left)

George is a Ship Broker at Arrow, where he has worked three years.

His charm with people have [sic] ensured his rapid progression in the Shipping Industry and he is tipped to be the next big thing in the world of Shipping.

George attended the University of Leeds where he was a strong figure-head amongst the social scene ? combining work and play in order to succeed .

Before this he attended Epsom College where he was captain of the 1st XV Football team and played 1st XV Rugby.

He is a key component of the G4 and his consistency in performances have [sic] secured his place as Senior Vice President.

He is known for his energetic and party side and he will certainly be one to follow when the sun goes down.

Rory Jones Captain (second right)

Rory is currently and [sic] Account Executive at Lightfoot Marketing Asia.

However his true career path lies in Law - Rory was an Intern at Justice where he formed part of a small team scrutinising the implications of EU justice and home affairs proposals.

He has also interned at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and will be training to be a Lawyer in London next year.

Rory attended the University of Nottingham where he achieved a Distinction in his Masters. Before this he attended City of London Freemen’s School where he captained the 1st XV Rugby team.

Rory’s ability to be a team player and push himself and others beyond their normal boundaries means his role as Captain will be central to a successful Dubai tour.

He is a strong character and his resilience in battle time and time again mean that he can now be compared to a true Viking warrior.

Daniel England Vice Captain (right)

Daniel is successful lawyer at Shearman & Sterling LLP.

He attended University College London where he obtained First Class Honours.

At University he was also a member 2nd XV Rugby Team and the Law Society.

Before this he attended City of London Freemen’s School where he was Vice Captain of the 1st XV Rugby team and was the youngest player in the School to tour South Africa.

Daniel’s loyalty, honesty and positive attitude bring another dimension to the G4, he rarely puts himself first and can be trusted by all other team members.

His whit [sic], intelligence and looks will ensure the G4 socialise with the right people in Dubai – he his [sic] definitely one to watch.

James Hill, left, and a similarly tanned friend pose for a drunken picture

Mr England’s employers, Shearman and Sterling lawyers, refused to comment – but a senior source at the firm told the Daily Mail: ‘We have taken the matter very seriously and are investigating it in accordance with our procedures.’

The law firm’s head of personnel is understood to be supervising the inquiry into Mr England’s behaviour – which could lead to disciplinary action.

The celebration of group sex in the email is understood to be considered to conflict with the company’s ‘diversity training’.

Mr Hill works as a terrorism and political violence insurance broker for multinational firm Willis – which proclaims on its website that ‘unethical behaviour will not be tolerated’, and that ‘offensive behaviour of a sexual nature is absolutely prohibited’. A Willis spokesman did not respond to requests for comment.

The employers of Mr Jones and Mr Boulton-Lea, Lightfoot Marketing Asia and Arrow ship brokers, both declined to comment.

Their families are similarly unlikely to be happy at their names being dragged into the furore.

One of the group, Rory Jones, attended Nottingham University (pictured)

Share or comment on this article: Public schoolboys' rugby tour rules email goes viral: 'We must boast about how rich we are'

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What's a Kangaroo Court?

• Helpful resources

Our history

In sporting parlance , a Kangaroo Court (or 'fines' system) is a form of mock justice system in which players are fined for unruly behaviour, on and/or off the field. It follows the time-honoured (and some might say draconian ) principle that one is guilty until proven innocent. Sound a bit grim? It certainly does.... However, it can make for a fair bit of fun when applied on a sports team, or any team where it's possible to make mistakes or bloopers for that matter!

If you want to find out the definition of a Kangaroo Court, have a look on Wikipedia - especially the part about sports teams. The gist of it is that during the season your team has one or more 'sheriffs', who note down whenever someone makes a mistake, or does something else that is notable enough to warrant possible punishment. Anyone on the team can nominate others for fines, but it's up to the Sheriff to make sure they're recorded.

At the end of the season, or even earlier depending on how many fines everyone has, the team gets together and has a 'Court Session', where each player is made to pay for his/her offences during the season. Usually this takes the form of drinking E.g. 1 fine = 1 drink, however, fines can also be repaid in other ways depending on how the team wants to do things. E.g. 1 fine = $1 (either to buy stuff for the team, or for fund raising and donating to charity), or in a very harsh team, 1 fine = 1km round the track!

What are some of the fines?

Each team has its own rules about how much a player should be fined for a given offence. What constitutes an 'offence' also varies between teams, and different sports. For example, some teams might focus on mental errors, or off-field behaviour (E.g. not turning up to training), whilst others may fine players for any indiscretion regardless of when/where it occurred. If you're looking for inspiration and ideas on what sort of fines might apply to a given sport, check out our fine schedules page, which shows the list of common fines that various teams have shared. If you'd like to share your team's fine schedule, then go ahead and join , add your team, and then add your very own fine schedule for all to see.

What happens at the 'Court Session'?

As mentioned earlier, at a 'Court Session', players are made to repay their debt to society in whatever manner is decided by the team. Court sessions are often held at the end of the season, however, they can also be held mid-season, or whenever the Sheriff or team deems it necessary. Another aspect worth noting is that when the court is in session, the rest of the team can influence whether a player should be punished for an offence. E.g. If the Sheriff reads out one of your fines and the team isn't happy with it, they may demand that it gets raised - mob mentality in action! That's why it's often helpful to have an 'impartial jury' present, usually comprised of a couple of friends who also don't mind the odd tipple, who can listen to both the Sheriff and the player's side of the story, and reach a suitable verdict. 99% of the time the fine will be upheld, and generally (by popular demand) raised due to the player wasting everyone's time arguing! However, in the rare instance that the verdict is overturned, the Sheriff can be charged with corruption and made to pay a harsh penalty.

It's usually up to the 'Sheriff' and 'Judge' to maintain order at Court, and if they decide things are going to slow, or certain players are dragging the chain, they may dispense summary justice. Often this involves either penalty vessels, boat races, waterfalls, cash, or other on-the-spot fines, depending on the team.

Why should I use this site?

The Sheriff needs to be able to record and track fines throughout the season, so that he/she, and every else on the team know what's in store for them when the Court Session comes around. They also need to be able to have a fair record of the fines for the Court Session (either printed off, or on-screen) so that everyone can see what they're being punished for, and to make the proceedings as accurate and entertaining as possible. This is where we can help! With The Kangaroo Court YOU can keep track of all your game/fine data. You can also invite others on your team to view their fines and share the fun. Finally, you get to generate fancy reports and graphs to impress everyone with at the end of the season. This makes the system easier to run for the Sheriff, and easier for the team (as unhappy Sheriffs tend to be a bit less lenient to folk who err on the side of lawlessness!).

Any kind of team can run a fines system - whether it's cricket, golf, baseball, rugby, soccer, AFL, hockey, work, or any other team sport. If you're on a team with a fines system, be it amateur or professional, you should be using the Kangaroo Court.

How else could you use this site, and how can we make it better?

You can probably think of other ways a site like this might be useful, possibly even for the opposite, where good behaviour is recorded and rewarded (although on most teams that's unlikely eh?!). If you have any ideas like that, please Contact Us and we'll try to get your ideas up on the site to help others.

Enjoy your chosen sport/s, good luck with your fines management, and go forth and serve in the name of Justice!

Helpful resources and links

• The definition of a Kangaroo Court on Wikipedia. Also includes a description of how it relates to sports teams
• M.O.B. Byron Bay Rugby Kangaroo Court Rules and Proceedings — a great guide on how to run a Kangaroo Court for rugby (and all other) teams. Some teams take this stuff very seriously — good on 'em!
• The 7 Deadly Unwritten Sins of Baseball
• Abiding Laws and Procedures for the Frederick Rugby Football Club Kangaroo Court
• Experiences with an ice hockey team's Kangaroo Court
• Examples of the fines and rules used by other teams on The Kangaroo Court
• The Kangaroo Court on Facebook. Like our page to be notified of new features on our site, and hear other entertaining stories relating to Kangaroo Courts.

This site was born in Wellington, New Zealand, based on the needs of a social cricket team with a fairly comprehensive 'fines system' in place. It was driven by the desire for everyone to be able to see what their fines were during the season, and make the whole system more fun and entertaining.

The team 'Sheriff' got sick of having to respond to player's emails asking how many fines they were on, and hence the idea for using a public website (rather than an Access database) to record the fines came about. After an initial launch which just allowed for our cricket team to manage their fines, we thought why not share the love so that other teams could do the same?

Currently our 'web team' consists of one developer, and a social cricket team who act as ideas gurus, testers, and users. Hopefully as more teams come on board we'll extend the site so cater for more advanced 'justice systems' and help teams everywhere run their own Kangaroo Courts and have a great time doing it! If you have any ideas for the site or would like to get in contact, please Contact Us and we'll see if we can incorporate your chosen features.