Breaking: Sale Respond To Alleged Bristol Leak

Tom Arscott has been suspended by Sale Sharks over an alleged leak of information to Bristol that is being investigated by the Rugby Football Union.

It emerged on Monday the RFU was investigating a complaint made by Sale regarding the “passing of information to the opposition team” ahead of the Aviva Premiership match against Bristol at the AJ Bell Stadium on New Year’s Day, which the hosts lost 24-23.

Sale director of rugby Steve Diamond on Tuesday revealed Arscott,  a former Bristol player, whose brother Luke is currently part of the Bristol squad, has been suspended over the matter while they await further information about the incident.

Diamond said:

“We investigated it internally and we are going through a disciplinary, and under the regulations, we have to report it [to the RFU], so we did that yesterday.

“It’s now in the hands of the RFU. He is suspended.”

While he declined to discuss the specifics of the case, Diamond said he had not come across anything like it in his time in rugby.

“I think if you do your own analysis, you probably don’t need the information, because teams do the same most weeks.

“But in the same breath, I think there’s an element of trust you need, and loyalty. And we’ll see where that’s at.

“I think when you sign a professional contract, team information is sacrosanct to the team’s performance and that can’t be discussed, certainly with opposition teams.

“I think that is the top and bottom of it. “I think it’s worded [in contracts], words to that effect, that the passing of information is forbidden.