Baron promises full inquiry into game's troubles

Francis Baron, the chief executive of the Rugby Football Union, promised "nothing would be swept under the carpet"; Peter Wheeler, the Leicester chief executive and one of the most influential figures in the professional club movement, said the incident had given the sport an opportunity to "look under the floorboards and investigate the thing fully". Whatever happens today, when the protagonists in English rugby's first racial abuse scandal appear before an RFU disciplinary panel, the issue will run and run.

Olivier Azam, the Gloucester hooker, and Epi Taione, the Newcastle flanker, were sent off for brawling during a violent Premiership contest at Kingsholm 12 days ago. Afterwards, the Newcastle director of rugby Rob Andrew accused Azam, a French Test forward, of calling Taione, a Tongan international, a "black bastard". Gloucester launched an inquiry and, within a week, cleared Azam of the allegations. They then accused Andrew of fabricating the story, and announced that he would not be welcome at Kingsholm until he issued a public apology.

Twickenham officials insist the racial abuse allegations will not be addressed at today's hearing. Azam and Taione face charges of fighting arising from their dismissals, while three other international players – Austin Healey of Leicester, Matt Stewart of Northampton and Sale's Alex Sanderson – are up on kicking, kneeing and spitting charges, respectively. But while the RFU is likely to hold a second hearing to deal with the more serious complaints against Azam, Newcastle are certain to raise the abuse issue as the central plank in Taione's defence. That will leave the three-man disciplinary panel treading the thinnest of thin lines.

"What happened over the weekend between Christmas and New Year has damaged rugby's image," Wheeler acknowledged yesterday, referring to the Leicester-Sale and Northampton-London Irish roughhouses, as well as the pandemonium at Kingsholm. "We have to make clear to the public that these were one-off incidents – incidents of a kind we've never seen before. Racism? I absolutely do not believe there is a racist problem in rugby. It is possible there are one or two racists out there, but with regard to the game's population as a whole, I would say the proportion is lower than in society as a whole."

Wheeler added that Gloucester's threat to bar Andrew from their ground was unsustainable. He also suggested that Andrew might apologise to the Gloucester club if it transpired that some of his after-match remarks had been taken as a general criticism, rather than an accusation against Azam in particular. "This is a serious issue and people have reacted very emotionally over the last week-and-a-half," he said. "Now we need to take some of the heat from the situation."

Baron was equally determined to treat the affair with all due seriousness. "This incident, albeit an isolated one, has hurt rugby," he admitted. He was, therefore, grateful for the timely contribution of the former world karate champion Geoff Thompson, who credited the RFU with setting new standards of racial and community awareness by implementing a series of imaginative programmes aimed at inner-city youngsters. He described the union as "pro-active and inclusive" and said it "reflected 21st century Britain". No one has ever accused Twickenham of that sort of behaviour.

Thompson, the founder and executive chairman of the Youth Charter of Sport, Culture and the Arts, was speaking at the launch of Royal & Sun Alliance's £750,000 backing of an RFU initiative to promote the game in areas of social deprivation.

"Hearts and minds are attracted and secured when people take the time and put in the effort," Thompson said. "The RFU took the time. They came with me on to the streets of Moss Side when it was not a comfortable thing to do, and they showed the youngsters there that a sport once seen as white, upper-class, remote and aloof could take an active role. Rugby has raised the bar by taking this approach, and I would like to see governing bodies of other sports meet the challenge."

On the Six Nations front, the France coach Bernard Laporte has named five uncapped players – Farid Sid, Arnaud Martinez, Mathieu Blin, Michel Dieude and Imanol Harinordoquy – in a 36-man squad for the match with Italy in Paris on 2 February. Two front-line forwards, Raphael Ibanez of Castres and Olivier Magne of Montferrand, are certain to be added when they return to fitness. The Scots have recalled the Edinburgh outside-half Duncan Hodge to their training squad for the opener with England in Edinburgh.

SCOTLAND SQUAD

(v England, Six Nations' Championship, 2 February, Edinburgh) Backs: G Beveridge (Glasgow), A Henderson (Glasgow), D Hodge (Edinburgh), B Laney (Edinburgh), J Leslie (Northampton), J McLaren (Glasgow), G Metcalfe (Glasgow), A Nicol (Glasgow), C Paterson (Edinburgh), B Redpath (Sale), J Steel (Glasgow), G Townsend (Castres). Forwards: G Bulloch (Glasgow), S Grimes (Newcastle), N Hines (Edinburgh), M Leslie (Edinburgh), S Murray (Saracens), J Petrie (Glasgow), B Pountney (Northampton), R Russell (Saracens), S Scott (Edinburgh), G Simpson (Glasgow), C Smith (Edinburgh), T Smith (Northampton), M Stewart (Northampton), S Taylor (Edinburgh), J White (Glasgow).