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  1. Media Law
November 25, 2011

England rugby players’ union in bid to gag Times

By Dominic Ponsford

The Rugby Players’ Association is reportedly trying to gag The Times over its continuing revelations about England’s disappointing Rugby World Cup campaign.

This week The Times has published material based on internal reports which allege – among other things – that team spirit in the England squad was ‘hopelessly fractured’and that some players were ‘more interested in making money than representing their country”.

The Times reports today that law firm Schillings has demanding to know the source of the leaks so that it can take ‘appropriate steps against the person or persons concerned”.

It has also asked for ‘immediate delivery’of any reports or ‘confidential’documents and an undertaking that no further material will be published based on the documents and that existing Times reports will be taken down from the paper’s website.

The Times says it has been told that it will face an injunction stopping further publication unless it complies with Schillings’ requests.

The three reports which The Times has quoted from include a 50-page compilation of quotes from players and staff which it says revealed ‘chaos in coaching and a culture in which hard work was mocked and drinking rife”.

The Times is resisting the injunction threats and maintains that publication of the England Rugby World Cup rugby debacle stories are protected by Article 10 of the European Convetion of Humanr Rights which protects freedom of expression on matters which it says are “clearly in the public interest”.

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