Wales shrugged away the shock suspension that disrupted their Rugby World Cup preparations to triumph in their opening match Monday. As expected, they whipped Georgia 43-14 to keep intact their place as the 5th favorite to win in Japan.
They are currently headed by top favorites New Zealand (+105), South Africa (+470), England (+500) and Ireland (+750).
At -135, it also favors them to win Pool C ahead of Australia at +115.
Their beaming head coach Warren Gatland welcomed their solid performance following the shock suspension of their attack coach Rob Howley.
Late last week Howley, a former Wales scrum-half and captain was given his marching orders, it has been disclosed, for ‘suspected betting breaches’.
The integrity department of a gambling company allegedly reported them.
They ordered him home; The WRU announced before Wale’s opening fixture against Georgia, to take part in an investigation. It concerned a breach of World Rugby Regulation 6.
“We can provide no further details at this stage as this would prejudice the investigation. If required an independent panel will be appointed to hear the case,” The WRU statement concluded.
According to World Rugby regulation 6.3.1, “no connected person shall, directly or indirectly, bet and/or attempt to bet on the outcome or any aspect of any connected event. Nor can they receive and/or attempt to receive part or all of the proceeds of any such bet and/or any other benefit in relation to a bet.”
World Rugby regulations further state that any person in the sport suspected of breaching anti-corruption rules may face an investigation. It will be led by an anti-corruption officer and the alleged offender will be suspended during the investigation.
Penalty
The penalty for any person found guilty of a betting-related offense depends on the severity of the offense.
Engaging in “prohibited betting” can cause a warning for a suspect that did not themselves place a bet. However, there is a maximum penalty of a five-year suspension for a more serious offense.
Howley earned 59 caps for Wales and two for the British and Irish Lions. That’s before his appointment as a Wales assistant coach in 2007.
When Gatland was not available, he also served as the Welsh caretaker head coach on two separate occasions. The first was between June 2012 and March 2013 during which Wales won the coveted Six Nations Championship.
His second spell lasted from November 2016 to March 2017.
He also served as an attack coach for the British and Irish Lions during their 2009 and 2013 overseas tours.
He was due to leave his role with the Welsh national team following the conclusion of the World Cup. Stephen Jones, who was set to replace him, now gets an early and urgent call-up.
