News

Cowan ordered to stop drinking for good

July 01 2008

All Black scrum-half Jimmy Cowan has been fined US$2300 and ordered to stop drinking by New Zealand rugby officials.

Cowan, who was arrested for the second time in as many months last weekend, was saved the embarrassment of being kicked out of the All Black squad, and in fact will take his place among the replacements for Saturday's opening Tri-Nations game.

Not only that but Dunedin police, on Tuesday, levelled a third charge against Cowan, although he has now been forced to quit drinking.

The New Zealand Rugby Union summoned Cowan to a conduct hearing in Wellington on Tuesday after the Highlanders' vice-captain was arrested in the early hours of Sunday morning outside an Invercargill bar.

He was then charged with disorderly behaviour, less than two months after being charged by Dunedin police for another early-morning incident during the Super 14.

And rugby bosses have confirmed a third charge has been laid by Dunedin police earlier on Tuesday. All Black Manager Darren Shand said Cowan was now on his "last chance".

"Jimmy must change his behaviour if he wants to be a professional rugby player in New Zealand," Shand said in an official statement.

"We have made it a condition of his employment that he stop drinking altogether. This is his last chance.

"We take the matter very seriously and considered other penalties. In light of Jimmy's ability to acknowledge his problem and seek help for it we decided that was most important that we address the problem openly and deal with it rather than pushing it to one side."

Cowan, who will be on the bench on Saturday, is now looking to put his drinking issues behind him.

"I want to thank the New Zealand Rugby Union, my All Black team-mates, All Black management, family and friends for their ongoing support," he said.

"I am very fortunate to be given another chance.

"This is my problem, nobody else's. And I am currently in the process of taking steps to fix this."