Kanto Gakuin Puts Coach Before Rugby Team

[Mulboyne]

Yomiuri: The wacky world of college rugby
...Following the arrest of two third-year students on suspicion of growing marijuana, Kanto Gakuin University--which has appeared in the university final for the past 10 seasons and last year beat Waseda University 33-26 to claim the title for the sixth time--announced Friday that it would cancel the rest of its season. It was also announced that head coach Hiroshi Haruguchi would stand down for three months. The news that the entire 200-man rugby club has been made to suffer as the result of the transgressions of two players was met with scorn and disbelief, particularly by foreign players and coaches plying their trade in Japan. As one player pointed out, if they tested for marijuana in New Zealand, a number of players would be ineligible to wear the black jersey...However [we have] learned that the university could have carried on playing. The Japan East Rugby Football Union had apparently given the university two options: Carry on playing but fire Haruguchi, or keep the coach--once he has served his self-imposed three-month ban--and refrain from playing any rugby until March 2008. The university chose the latter, putting the needs of Haruguchi--who has been in the job for 34 years--ahead of players who represent the future of the game...more...

This was written by Rich Freeman for the Yomiuri English edition.

[Gilligan]

A number of things struck me here:

1) What business is this of the Japan East Rugby Football Union? Did being a member of the rugby team in some way contribute to these guys growing pot?

2) Why should the coach be suspended, let alone fired? Did he know about this and do nothing? Did he give the guys growing tips?

3) Why is it that the coach should be punished because the students were part of the rugby team, but the president of Kanto Gakuin gets off scott free? And what about the head of the Japan East Rugby Football Union?

4) In the end, what relevance do either of the choices that were given to Kanto Gakuin have to what happened?

Oh, wait... this is Japan we're talking about. Never mind. My bad.

[Iraira]

A number of things struck me here:

1) What business is this of the Japan East Rugby Football Union? Did being a member of the rugby team in some way contribute to these guys growing pot?

2) Why should the coach be suspended, let alone fired? Did he know about this and do nothing? Did he give the guys growing tips?

3) Why is it that the coach should be punished because the students were part of the rugby team, but the president of Kanto Gakuin gets off scott free? And what about the head of the Japan East Rugby Football Union?

4) In the end, what relevance do either of the choices that were given to Kanto Gakuin have to what happened?

Also, the article says nothing regarding the quality and the plight of the marijuana plants. As marijuana is not indiginous to Japan (I'm assuming this) were the plants deported after being subjected to endless interrogations? Anything in the recent edition of High Times about this case of man's inhuamnity against nature?

[ichigo partygirl]

Oh we were stoned, thats why we lost the world cup. Sheesh why didn't i think of that earlier?

[Behan]

Also, the article says nothing regarding the quality and the plight of the marijuana plants. As marijuana is not indiginous to Japan (I'm assuming this) were the plants deported after being subjected to endless interrogations? Anything in the recent edition of High Times about this case of man's inhuamnity against nature?

Thanks. This gave me a much needed laugh after a long day.

[Greji]

As marijuana is not indiginous to Japan (I'm assuming this) were the plants deported after being subjected to endless interrogations? Anything in the recent edition of High Times about this case of man's inhuamnity against nature?

More important in the face of rising heinous crime, did any of those non-indiginents own a bicycle?