This email is the preliminary sanction regarding the incident at the Ft. Lauderdale VS Tridents match 2/24/2004.
The Tridents RFC, who were recently on a one year probation, apparently are still lacking in maintaining the discipline(s) in the sport of Rugby. It is inherent upon the administrators of the TRident RFC to instill the proper attitude during the performance of their matches.
As a result of past infractions and lack of discipline, the Tridents RFC are hereby suspended from play for a period of six (6) months. This suspension is retroactive to the date of the match in question.
An appeal may be filed regarding this sanction, however the cost of the hearing will be borne by the offending club, as per USA Rugby South Guidelines.
As to thye sanctions of the offending players from both sides, those items are still under review and sanctions will be forthcoming ASAP.
Paul G. Gauthier
USA Rugby South
Disciplinary Chair
2/27/2004
Gentlemen
After much deliberation and fact finding concerning the incidents involving Miami Tridents and Fort Lauderdale rugby clubs on the 24th January 2004, the following sanctions are imposed effective immediately upon the following players for the red cards (send offs):
Osvaldo ‘anibal Martini - CIPP # 173920
Threatening and striking at a referee
Suspended from any rugby activity for ten (10) years
Hernan Golod - CIPP # S169244
Spitting on a referee
Suspended from any rugby activity for five (5) years
Gustavo Dipolito - CIPP # K113809
Fighting (second time in six months)
Suspended for a period of twelve (12) months
The Miami Tridents club received a six month suspension from The Florida Rugby Union with advisement from the USA Rugby South disciplinary chair, following the game on the 24th January 2004. Any appeal from the club should be in writing and sent to the President of the Florida Rugby Union.
Any appeal by the Miami Trident players should be sent in writing to the USA Rugby South disciplinary chair.
Regards
S. Nigel Platt
USA Rugby South Disciplinary Chair
1/31/2004
My name is Hernan Golod. I’m Miami Trident’s secretary and the scrum half of the team.I have 36 year old and I play since I had 10 in the INDU CLUB and in the TRIDENTS since 2001.I also play for the florida select side.
I’m sending this email in my name, concerning what happened in the game between Tridents and Fort Lauderdale this past weekend.
During all my Rugby career I’ve never received a red card, and since I play in the TRIDENTS my team always play for the first and second position in every championship.
Since I play in the TRIDENTS I have a great feeling of discrimination against us, not only for the other team mates but also for the referees and visors from the U.S.A RUGBY SOUTH.
I can remember the playoff in Greenville ,South Carolina,when the visor of the U.S.A RUGBY SOUTH called us to check our paperwork by calling us “THE ALL AMERICAN TRIDENTS”, ironically.
During the last game we had to stand not only that the referee arrived 30 minutes late smelling alcohol but also discrimination attitudes towards us like “I don’t accept spanish speaking”or different consideration about the calls between us and the other team.
This is not the first time it happened and does not justify the attitude of two of our players who we know they didn’t behave correctly,but there’s no reason to suspend the whole team being just two players involved and the behaviour of the referee.
About the past performance and repeated offenses from the TRIDENTS that warranted the suspension decision, in 2003 we won the state championship and we arrived to the florida cup semifinal with any bad conduct during all the season,on which bases are you warranting the suspension decision???
I feel that this decision of suspension is because we are the TRIDENTS.The referee and the judge touch knows the players that were involved,so what justify a whole team suspension?????? Why, because we are the TRIDENTS??????
The rules must be the same for all, and this suspension is against the rules.
We don’t even received the referee report yet,I believe that nobody did. And I also believe that this decision is taken after saturday night, when Mac (Fort Lauderdale coach) made some calls from a Coral Gable’s pub to some Florida Union guys, upset because his team lost again against this”BUNCH OF LATINS”.
I want to remember that in the last rugbyfest, in Fort Lauderdale, Mac”the Florida Union coach” refused to play against the TRIDENTS because he didn’t want to loose against this BUNCH OF LATINS, as he said.
Nobody of the union called our president or our coach asking about what happened in the game. The decision of suspension is taken without the reports of the referee and the judge touch.
What kind of FASCIST organization is the FLORIDA RUGBY UNION????? Who are making the rules of this game?????
I have never seen such an hostile and discrimination action against a rugby team.Our amateur sport,the one we love,the one we choose for the lifetime.Stories and frienship that bring to us,has deeply been hurt with this kind of attitides and unilateral decisions made for the people that handle the F.L.A. rugby union.
The FLORIDA UNION should be happy in reciving players from all over the world,which enrich the quality of rugby,and the development of our sport in our country VERY SAD,POOR AND ALSO,A LACK OF SERIOUSNESS FROM THE UNION AUTHORITIES..
HERNAN GOLOD
CIPP No.S169244
2/1/2004
Gentlemen,
To simply dismiss this as a poor excuse for uncalled for behaviour would not do it justice. The simple fact, the way I see it, is that this is a culmination of several incidents involving the Tridents. From the Swamp 7’s to the South Championships to regular matches to this, I see an ongoing pattern of misbehaviour that never seems to be corrected.
As a Florida referee, I take personal offense that you want to blame this on some ethnic bias against the Tridents. I think I can speak for all referrees when I say that we do not give a shit where you came from and what your ethnicity happens to be. We only expect that you play the game in a gentlemanly way that the game was founded and intended to be. To try and blame the ramifications from your actions on some sort of discrimination is not only absurd, it is truly pathetic. In making this claim, you not only insult me, you insult every player and referee who devotes a portion of their life to the advancement of this great sport.
Say what you want, but your feeble attempt to play the race card speaks poorly for you and the club.
My advice to you is this:
Suck it up, acknowledge your responsibility, take your lumps, and take the corrective action necessary in order to rejoin the union as a proud member in good standing. I think the game of rugby should expect nothing less.
Like it or dislike it, this is my opinion. Do with it as you will.
Pat McCollum, Florida Rugby Referee
Posted by: at February 28, 2004 05:24 AM