Owen Farrell, the captain of the England rugby team, has been given the green light to participate in the Rugby World Cup. This decision comes after his red card, which he received during Saturday’s warm-up match against Wales at Twickenham, was overturned.
Originally, Farrell was shown a yellow card for a high tackle on Taine Basham. However, the newly implemented ‘Bunker’ review system upgraded it to a red card. Nevertheless, upon review by a disciplinary panel, a notable shift in the dynamics of the contact situation was observed and considered as a mitigating factor.
The panel highlighted that the involvement of Jamie George from the England team in the tackle played a role in prompting Basham to alter his direction, leading to the panel’s decision to reverse the red card.
The independent judicial committee (IJC) said: “After reviewing all the evidence, questioning the player in detail and hearing submissions from the player’s representative, the committee concluded that the foul play review officer was wrong, on the balance of probabilities, to upgrade the yellow card issued to the player to a red card.
“The committee found that a late change in dynamics due to England number two’s [George] interaction in the contact area brought about a sudden and significant change in direction from the ball carrier.”
Five most hated rugby players, named and ranked:
We have curated a compilation of individuals who, through their actions on and off the field, have acquired a regrettable reputation within the game. Their notoriety extends beyond specific fan bases or clubs; it encompasses the entire rugby community.
#5. Dan Biggar (Wales)
Amusingly, Biggar epitomizes the kind of player who manages to invoke strong dislike until he becomes a part of your own team.
Over the course of his career, this fly-half has exhibited a growing penchant for passionately berating referees.
This behavior has reached such heights that Glove39, a renowned online personality and unwavering fan of Scotland, cleverly crafted a video titled ‘birdman.’
In this video, Glove39 humorously mimicked Biggar’s habitual arm-raising expression of frustration directed at officials.