24 Jul 2018

Sport: Langkilde incident "extremely disappointing" - Samoa Rugby Union

9:43 am on 24 July 2018

The Samoa Rugby Union says an incident at the Sevens World Cup involving veteran player Gordon Langkilde is "extremely disappointing" and has "taken the focus off the game itself".

Langkilde was provisionally suspended from Rugby World Cup Sevens following Samoa's 24-19 defeat by Wales on Sunday and did not feature on the final day of competition.

Gordon Langkilde is tackled during the Vancouver Sevens in March.

Gordon Langkilde is tackled during the Vancouver Sevens in March. Photo: PHOTOSPORT

SRU High Performance Unit Manager Zane Hilton said they are "aware of an incident taking place post-match".

"Incidents of this nature are extremely disappointing and take the focus off the game itself. The SRU is currently supporting Gordon with the investigations with World Rugby and the local San Francisco police," he said.

"Our major focus is to support Gordon with every effort possible at this time"

The incident led to Welsh player Tom Williams missing the final day of competition through injury and Pacific Rugby Players CEO Aayden Clarke admitted Langkilde faced an uncertain future.

"An incident like this is never good for the game or the players involved," he said.

"We are working with SRU to firstly ensure that effective legal representation and personal support is with Gordon Langkilde and secondly, that all the players of the Samoan and Wales teams are supported with what they need at this time.

"It is a precarious situation for Langkilde as we support him through the process with local authorities and World Rugby".

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