World Cup curfew flagged for Wallabies - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

World Cup curfew flagged for Wallabies

By Jim Morton 13/08/2007 06:09:33 PM Comments (0)

Wallabies coach John Connolly is leaning towards implementing a team curfew over alcohol bans for the upcoming Rugby World Cup.

Speaking before attending a high-level meeting to discuss World Cup protocols in Sydney on Monday, Connolly suggested curfews were a distinct possibility in France.

A decision on new protocols may be made as early as Tuesday when recommendations are put to Australian Rugby Union chief John O'Neill.

Connolly, Wallabies skipper Stirling Mortlock, team managers Phil Thomson and Chris Webb and new high-performance unit manager Pat Howard held a two-hour think tank on the issue in Sydney on Monday.

The meeting was ordered by O'Neill in the wake of Friday morning's assault of a Brisbane cab driver outside the Wallabies team hotel.

Test players Lote Tuqiri and Matt Dunning weren't at the scene but were questioned by police after drinking with a group of people including a Gold Coast man charged for the assault.

It's been reported both Tuqiri and Dunning are on their last chances following prior alcohol-related incidents and that individual or team booze bans may be implemented at the World Cup.

Each of the participants at Monday's meeting were ordered not to reveal any part of their discussions but Connolly indicated earlier he was more comfortable with limiting his 30-man squad's time out rather than alcohol intake.

He felt curfews would reduce the chances of heavy drinking and unsavoury incidents.

"I suppose any problems that arise are caused by two things: alcohol and late nights, and mostly by late nights," Connolly told Sydney radio 2KY.

"If there was a time they had to be in by that would probably prevent any problems and it's something that's got to be looked at. It is an issue.

"You've only got to be in a bar these days and have two high profile sportsmen - whether it's rugby union or rugby league - and if there's a fight at the other side of the bar it makes headlines.

"I guess that comes with the profile that these players have."

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