Dannie Rossouw: Bottoms up!
Professional rugby has had a fair share of bad press to answer to. Only this summer, the off-field behaviour has been like a lads trip to Benidorm - full of booze, birds and brushes with the law.
No one is innocent. Even the unions who allow players to get themselves in such precarious positions are guilty, but putting a ban on these guilty pleasures is like ordering a prostitute to take a vow of celibacy.
As refreshing as New Zealand Jimmy Cowan’s outstanding performance was in Auckland, he will forever be battling against his bad-boy image as long as he is wearing the All-Black jersey.
Given the monotonous routine of a professional rugby player - play, train, video, gym, train, play, recover - how can the unions or clubs for that matter expect to control players away from the training field?
There is an unwritten law in a professional sportsman’s code of conduct - to peak at game time - and as long as the players don’t turn up nursing a hangover or serving a court writ for a post-match barroom brawl, then we have no problem.
Try telling Ricky Hatton to stay off the big breakfasts, or David Beckham to shed away from the limelight - these stars are adored for their lifestyle and not just their right or left boot.
Three separate charges of disorderly conduct since April, forced Cowan off the booze and while the majority live up to their obligations as role models, are we missing the point of what’s fun about sport?
It’s supposed to be fun isn’t it?