Shamed Quins promise overhaul after scandal

Harlequins chief executive Mark Evans claims the club will introduce a "whistle-blowing policy" as part of a wide-reaching internal review to ensure there is no repeat of the "Bloodgate" scandal.

Evans admitted Quins had taken a "huge reputational hit" after being found guilty of faking a blood injury in last season's Heineken Cup quarter-final against Leinster.

While suggesting other clubs may also be guilty of similar practices, Evans accepted Quins had made "huge errors" that he stressed were being addressed as a matter of urgency. "Nobody at Quins is trying to duck the fact we have made huge errors and made mistakes and it shouldn't have happened and we have to apologise for that," said Evans.

"The fact that it may be not uncommon is no excuse. It is like when you are speeding. You are maybe doing 90mph and four cars go past you but you get the ticket – that is no defence.

"When you get caught, all the shades of grey disappear into black and white and that is fair enough. One of the things this has shown to me is that some of the systems and the processes we have on the corporate side of rugby just weren't adequate for this. We didn't have a whistle-blowing policy in the club at all but we will have now, and I mean for players and non-players.

"Rugby is still a relatively young sport and I would freely admit we didn't have the processes in place to deal as well as might have done. We have got to get ourselves sorted out."