BATEMAN IN BRIBE SENSATION; 'I was offered pounds 5,000 to throw game'.

Byline: BRENDON WILLIAMS

RUGBY star Allan Bateman last night sensationally revealed how a fellow international offered him pounds 5,000 to "throw" a game.

Veteran centre Bateman, 36, said a "well-known" player promised him the huge bribe if Wales lost a vital Five Nations international.

In the same game, fellow Wales centre Mark Ring was offered a massive pounds 30,000 to lose the match.

Bateman's incredible offer was made before Wales's away clash with Ireland in 1990 - which Wales lost 14-8.

But only now has he revealed the shocking truth in his new autobiography.

Bateman said copies of the book had to be pulled and pulped at the last minute after original drafts contained the alleged briber's name.

Now, the shocking book that will rock Welsh rugby, contains details of the bribe but leaves the culprit anonymous.

Bateman said last night: "At first I mentioned the person who had offered it. But the solicitors advised me he could sue and thought it would be wise to take the name out.

"The publishers had to pulp a load of books because they had already started publishing it."

"The incident is still in there, but the person is not named.

"It just says I was approached by a well-known Welsh player."

Bateman was just a rookie in his debut international season when the bribe offer was made in Dublin.

He instantly turned it down.

Neath star Bateman said: "I was approached by a well-known Welsh player.

"Then someone said there's five grand if you throw the game. It was against Ireland, my second international in 1990.

"I just said no thanks.

"I heard nothing after that and didn't even speak about it with anybody until the book."

Bateman's book, Allan Bateman: There and Back Again, is due for release next month.

It will be serialised in Wales on Sunday, starting this week.

His publishers, Mainstream Publishing, said they could not comment on the book, but denied copies had been pulped.

The illegal bung revelation is the latest in a list of scandals which have rocked rugby in Wales. Last year the Welsh Mirror exclusively revealed how Wales centre Mark Ring was offered pounds 30,000 to throw the same game.

Ring recieved a phone call from a man he knew, representing London backers, just days before the 1990 Wooden Spoon decider.

Ring, who rejected the bung, was told he would receive the cash if he let the Irish win by missing a tackle.

Ring said he instantly laughed off the offer, crying: "You've got to be joking."

Ring described how the briber told him: "It's up to you entirely. There is pounds 30,000 and the money is yours to distribute as you like if you need someone else.

"If you want to jump out of the way of Irish centre Brendan Mullin, you can do so.

"But whatever happens you've got to make sure Ireland win this game.

"You don't need to know who I represent. They are some people in London."

While Ring laughed off the suggestion, he knew the offer was a serious one, made by a "big punter" on the horse racing circuit.

He said: "I've never heard about it happening to anyone else. It was a shock. I dismissed it lightly, but I knew he was serious.

"It didn't affect me mentally in terms of the game.

"There is no way in a million years I played anything other than our maximum."

Also last year, top Welsh rugby star Neil Boobyer admitted betting against Wales in international matches.

The Wales and Llanelli centre put money on England and France beating Wales in the Six Nations championship.

Boobyer did not play in either match, but he was involved in the build-up to the game against France in the Wales A team.

Boobyer did not break the official International Rugby Board rules on betting because he was not directly involved in any of the matches.

Boobyer said at the time: "I'm not involved in the match and if I fancy Wales to win or to lose, I can still do them.

"If Joe Bloggs fancies France to beat Wales he can go in the bookies and put pounds 200 on France to beat Wales, the same as I can.

"I'm not a player and I'm not involved, as far as I'm concerned I'm someone in the street."

CAPTION(S):

CLAIM: Allan Bateman; THE MATCH: Ireland against Wales in 1990 OFFERED BUNGS: Mark Ring and Allan Bateman, main picture