'Bloodgate' doctor is suspended

Tom Williams used a fake blood capsule so he could leave the pitch

A doctor at the centre of a fake injury scandal which occurred during a big rugby match has been suspended by the General Medical Council.

Wendy Chapman is alleged to have cut Harlequins wing Tom Williams' lip to hide his use of a fake blood capsule.

The incident occurred in the Heineken Cup quarter-final against Leinster, who won the game 6-5 in April 2009.

Quins have been fined £259,000, their director of rugby received a three-year ban and Williams a four-month ban.

Dr Chapman was Quins' match-day doctor for the Leinster game.

Williams, who saw an initial one-year ban cut to four months on appeal, told a European Rugby Cup hearing into the so-called 'Bloodgate' incident that he asked Chapman to cut his mouth after he had used a blood capsule during the match.

The use of the capsule, which had been concealed in Williams' sock, allowed the introduction of a specialist goal-kicker with Harlequins trailing Leinster 6-5.

A spokesman for the GMC said Dr Chapman, who is an accident and emergency consultant at Maidstone Hospital, has been given an interim suspension.

"We are not able to confirm what it is in relation to due to our duty of confidentiality," the spokesman added.

The GMC has up to 18 months to consider whether to take action against Dr Chapman.

Last week, the Rugby Football Union announced that Harlequins would face no further charges over the scandal.

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version