Mike Tindall situation threatens accessibility of rugby stars to fans

On Friday Mike Tindall was fined £25,000 and dropped from the England team following his behaviour at the World Cup. A truly sad end for a man who has earned 75 England caps and was part of the winning World Cup squad in 2003, as well as enjoying great success at club level.

The home dressing room at Twickenham proclaims proudly on its walls: “Through these doors walk the nation’s toughest competitors” and Sir Clive Woodward built his English empire on a game-plan inspired by the following sentence: “Hannibal won his wars by doing exactly the opposite to what his enemies thought and tradition had always dictated.”

Tradition has always dictated that rugby stars are good, clean and wholesome with a liking for drink after the game with family, friends and fans. So did Mike Tindall’s behaviour differ from this? Did he bring the sport into disrepute? I don’t think so. Yes he was foolish and perhaps slightly misguided (his profile has been elevated considerably since his marriage to Zara Phillips), but he was enjoying a drink after a game and mixing with fans; something I imagine he has done hundreds of times.

In my opinion, the continuing accessibility of rugby stars to the general public and fans is one of the key attractions of the sport. On a recent visit to Harlequins, I witnessed the squad and their opponents sit in a cordoned off area of the bar happily enjoying their post-match dinner together, whilst mingling with fans and interacting with youngsters. Nothing would beat the excitement at my local rugby club when Rob Andrew or Jonny Wilkinson turned up.

Jonny Wilkinson has said, “What I cannot understand is the naivety of people going out to the extent that they did and it not crossing their minds it would find its way back to the media. With a camera on pretty much every phone these days, how could it not come back?”

This incident is surely a sign of the times. As media interest in rugby continues and mobile technology improves, a player enjoying a drink, after the match is a tradition which may sadly decline. This would be a great loss for both the sport and the fans, as it would be a shame for the next generation of players and fans not to have access to their heroes.

It’s not just sports stars and celebrities but everyone who should take heed of this episode. As Warren Buffet said “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.” And I am sure that now, for better or worse, the England squad will.