Justin Harrison has left Bath with immediate effect after requesting an early release from his contract.
PA Sport understands Harrison, the former Australia lock, has pre-empted the results of an internal misconduct investigation and left the club.
Bath chief executive Bob Calleja launched the inquiry on Sunday following allegations that a number of the squad were involved in a fracas with Harlequins players at the club's end-of-season party.
Bath, who have made no official comment, hope to complete their investigations within the next few days.
Harrison, 35, has already left the club. He was contracted until the summer of 2010 but will return to Australia as soon as possible.
Harrison joined Bath from Ulster on a one-year deal last summer. He signed a 12-month contract extension in December.
The alleged incident took place in a London pub on May 10, the day after Bath's Guinness Premiership semi-final defeat to Leicester.
In a separate development, Bath are also probing claims linked to drugs use.
He would have been great this season to mentor our inexperienced forwards. Ulster rugby missed a trick there. I'm sure Dawson helped a lot but he was never going to start ahead of Pollock unless he got injured whereas Harrison proved this season that he still has the talent to play pro rugby at a high level
just to complete the previous article (lest it be said it was misleading)
The News of the World reported claims on Sunday that several players refused to provide samples for drugs tests following drinking sessions on the same weekend.
Four months ago Bath and England prop Matt Stevens was banned for two years after testing positive for cocaine.
A spokeswoman for the Rugby Football Union said this week: "We are aware of these particular allegations and are comfortable that the investigation process Bath Rugby is following is the right one for their club and their employees.
"At the current time we have not made any requests as part of that investigation in any way at all.
"When the investigation is complete we will review the findings with Bath and decide if further steps are required."
He would have been great this season to mentor our inexperienced forwards. Ulster rugby missed a trick there. I'm sure Dawson helped a lot but he was never going to start ahead of Pollock unless he got injured whereas Harrison proved this season that he still has the talent to play pro rugby at a high level
I dont know about that, he did show up this year that he could still play top end rugby but it was fairly obvious last season that he no longer wanted to be playing for Ulster, I dont believe if he had have been given another year here anything would have changed, he was dead weight and it was right to cut him loose!
Bath probe party that ends in 'fight' with Harlequins
Chris Jones
19.05.09
Bath Rugby Club have launched an investigation after their end-of-season party ended with an apparent brawl involving Harlequins players in a Fulham pub.
It is understood Quins were holding their traditional annual fancy dress party in the Pitcher & Piano on Sunday 10 May when members of the Bath squad arrived, having spent most of the evening at north London venue The Church.
Both teams had been beaten in the Guinness Premiership play-offs the day before and were letting off steam when it is alleged Bath's Justin Harrison became abusive.
The Australian was then offered the chance to go outside to resolve a dispute and was felled by a punch from a Quins player.
Quins are known to be furious at being caught up in what is the latest problem to hit Bath, whose England prop Matt Stevens was handed a two-year ban this season for testing positive for cocaine.
Bath officials insist they will not be saying anything on the matter until their own investigations are complete.
Jez Manterfield, manager of the Pitcher & Piano in Fulham, said today: "They [Bath and Harlequins] were all in here. It was quite lively. There were a few altercations but we ejected most of the parties and there were definitely some afters in the street outside."
Could we take him back for a year, he still has his house here does he not.
After the previous cocaine scandal it was hinted that quite a few of the bath boys where up to no good in that regard. Hope Justin aint been involved in that.
For such a big bloke, he always had a touch of wee man syndrome; Sometimes I appreciated it on the pitch, other times I didn't; but in my experience it was not a good thing to have in a bar.
Ithryn wrote:Could we take him back for a year, he still has his house here does he not.
After the previous cocaine scandal it was hinted that quite a few of the bath boys where up to no good in that regard. Hope Justin aint been involved in that.
Strange that he was floored, by a quins player.
Probably not that strange! The Bath players had been to The Church near Kings Cross which is a total zoo filled with aussies and kiwis getting completely off their faces... then travel halfway across London to gatecrash the Quins party... it probably wouldn't have taken that much for things to kick-off.
I think the fight and additional drugs allegations are separate incidents.
Last edited by mikerob on Tue May 19, 2009 9:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.
wee ejit
