The 1974 British and Irish Lions team celebrate after winning the third Test in South Africa. Photo: Colorsport
I don't think rugby has a problem with alcohol. This association dates back to the amateur era, when you would play a game and then socialize with your opponents at the club. Drinking was an important part of the social element of the game, and when rugby became professional, it took several years for this culture to dissipate.
When I became Wales coach in 2007, I was confronted with several well-documented cases of bad behavior from players during evening outings. This was not helped by the tradition of players going out to Cardiff after our home games to celebrate a victory or blow off some steam. If we lost the match, going into town would be the last thing I wanted to do, and it increased the risk of trouble with members of the public. We have always been concerned about how best to control this and ensure that incidents do not get out of control due to drinking.
That culture started to change around 2011 when a new generation of players started to come into the squad and the best example was my captain Sam Warburton, who was a supreme professional. Sam didn't drink during the entire campaign and only celebrated with a couple of drinks at the end with his teammates. The World Cup in New Zealand that year also had a significant impact on how we deal with drinking and making sure things don't get out of hand.
It was during this tournament that the England team was criticized for late-night drinking in Queenstown, while during our campaign we were portrayed as teetotalers. But it all came down to perception and a lesson I learned from a couple of young women from Ireland who were family friends and were staying at our home in Hamilton while they followed the World Cup.
I remember them telling us a story about how they were in Queenstown and some of the Irish players were drinking until three or four o'clock in the morning. They said it was a fantastic night and there were no incidents, but then one of the girls said something that really interested me. «It was a great night, but you have to wonder how focused the players are on winning the World Cup if they're out until 4am,» she said.
The comment has stayed with me. Some players may even drink orange juice, but if they are at a nightclub early in the morning, what impression will that leave on the public? When I returned to our team, I called a meeting with our senior players and told them that we would impose a curfew at 1 am. If players want to drink a little more, they can do so, but in the privacy of our hotel. Result? People thought we were acting like angels, but that's not true at all!
What has changed over the years is that players now tend to only drink towards the end of a campaign because they are aware of the impact drinking can have on their training and fitness. This can lead to new problems as there is a danger of players overdoing it, releasing tension and pressure after months of hard work.
The biggest challenge I faced as a coach was the last week of the Lions tour. A party can be very helpful at the beginning of a tour for bonding. But in the final week you have players who aren't in the final squad, you'll probably never coach them again and you're thinking, «How am I going to keep them under control?»
The key is to ensure players can celebrate together in a controlled environment. When players go out, they are usually supervised by security staff, but there is also an element of self-control. You inform them of their responsibilities not to become involved in incidents that might end up in the newspapers, and to keep an eye on their teammates if they think they are getting out of control. Even the quietest and most dedicated players can blow off steam overnight.
How you discipline players who go off the rails is also important. Usually the player is upset by his behavior and feels that he has let himself, his team and his country down. You talk to them and recognize that each situation is different. Often the best policy is to go straight to the media, and that's what England learned in 2011. Get to the forefront and control the story; don't try to hide and let things slip away. Sometimes a slap on the wrist is enough, or more seriously, a fine or disqualification.
We must remember that these are young people, and young people can make mistakes. Many people get in trouble for drinking but don't make headlines because they aren't sports stars. I'm sure Saracens will deal with Billy Vunipola however they see fit, but he must be the one who is more disappointed in himself with how it all ended.
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