Criminal charges to follow in Lions' SpyGate saga?
REACTION: The possibility of criminal charges has been placed on the table in the wake of a revelation that a Lions coach has accused a colleague of ‘spying’ on him.
Lions Rugby Company Chief Executive Officer Rudolf Straeuli confirmed to @rugby365com that he is aware of the accusation, contained in a weekend report.
According to the report Lions forwards coach Albert van den Berg accused the union’s technical analyst, Chris Venter, of making copies of private conversations on his work laptop.
Venter, responsible for setting up coaches’ laptops before games to assist them with live analyses during games, allegedly took pictures of a private WhatsApp conversation between Van den Berg and agent Dane Galley.
Straeuli, in response to @rugby365com‘s enquiry about the very serious allegations, admitted that he is aware of a lawyer’s letter sent from Van den Berg to Venter.
“I am not sure how far the legal process has developed,” the Lions CEO said, adding that there will be an internal investigation.
Straeuli would not comment on the actual incident(s), saying those facts would be determined during the Lions’ investigation.
According to a Lions insider, that spoke to @rugby365com on condition of anonymity, there is a real threat of criminal proceedings against Venter.
It is not clear if the Lions official, Venter, acted of his own volition or was instructed by someone in upper management to record or share the WhatsApp messages with other staff members.
What complicates the matter is that Van den Berg and Venter were part of the coaching panel that travelled with the team to Scotland last week for a Challenge Cup quarterfinal showdown with Glasgow Warriors – a match they lost 21-31 at the Scotstoun Stadium.
#⃣ICYMI @King365ed brings you the latest in the boardroom drama involving the @LionsRugbyCo #CEO and the #coaches of the union …#Rugby 🏉#RugbyUnion🌍@TheCurrieCup 🏆@URCOfficial 🏅@ChallengeCup_ 💯
🔗https://t.co/m2XUHEZVye pic.twitter.com/gvOctsysKe— rugby365.com (@rugby365com) March 17, 2023
The weekend report certainly confirms earlier @rugby365com reports of disharmony in the management ranks of the Lions.
This website reported last month a suggestion that the coaching staff, en masse, approach company Chief Executive Officer Rudolf Straeuli with their grievances.
This development follows the previous expose by @rugby365com of a major disconnect between players and upper management.
In a frank coaches meeting – including senior coaches – in which the possibility of a confrontation with the CEO was raised.
The @rugby365com article was based on an audio recording of the coaches’ meeting in which a number of issues were raised.
Their next match is a United Rugby Championship outing against the unbeaten Leinster at Ellis Park this coming Saturday.
@king365ed
@rugby365com
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