Leicester coach banned for betting

Former Leicester defence coach Phil Blake was banned for six months for betting on two Tigers games this season.
The 51-year-old won £669 for betting on the Tigers’ clash with European champions Toulon on December 13 and the game against Newcastle on March 8.
Blake backed the Tigers to win each time with eight different bets but he was found guilty of RFU Regulation 17 (Anti-Corruption and Betting) and cannot be involved in rugby-related activity until November 24.
He told an RFU disciplinary panel: “Having my whole career on the line for a minimum gain is something I will regret for the rest of my life.”
“I am, of course, aware that it is not appropriate, in most jurisdictions, to gamble against one’s own team, but I was not aware of the exact regulations that pertain in the UK.
“I saw some very favourable odds on Tigers to beat Newcastle and thought that there would be little harm arising from my betting on Tigers to win, as, obviously, it is my professional duty to try and do everything possible to ensure that Tigers did, in fact, win.
“I put the bet on against Toulon in very similar circumstances.
“I accept, with hindsight, that I could have made money even if Toulon had won the game but I never saw it in this light when making the bet and it was never my intention to bet against my own team.
“No one could be more sorry than myself that this incident has taken place.”
Christopher Quinlan QC, Chairman of the RFU Disciplinary Panel said: “This is the first such case that we know of in rugby union and is certainly the first brought under the relatively new Regulation 17 so this is new ground. In arriving at the appropriate sanction we have been careful to remind ourselves that we must not make an example of Phil Blake.
“We have imposed a sanction which we consider fair and proportionate to what he did, while having due regard to the proper consideration of deterrence. We have sought to strike a proper balance between the competing factors and arrive at a sanction we consider to be just.
“We must have regard to the wider interests of the game. It is important that those involved in the game and the wider public understand that any breach of the anti-corruption and betting regulations will and must be treated seriously.”