A recently conducted survey encompassing Super 12 players of the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) and 27 Wallabies has found that about 57 percent of them are suffering from a serious gambling addiction and approximately one to ten players have an issue with alcohol drinking.
The union, however, denied the existence of these ailments within the group. The head of communications, Strath Gordon responded saying that he cannot place confidence in published results of the survey, released in the player’s annual union and conducted in January 2004 to reflect a culture of gambling and drinking within the three Super 12 squads. He believes that if the problem does exist, it corrupts players on the more individual level. He also maintained that player’s professionalism and self discipline is what keeps them in such a good shape and it the rest of the members of society that should be concerned about excessive gambling and drinking.
The truth might be with Gordon after all, since ARU players are obliged to undergo special training and counseling about these issues more than any other group in today’s society.
|
| Source: gamblingsmart news writer
|
Tuesday, 8 March 2005 |