Owen Farrell is set to be absent from the initial two pool matches of the World Cup, following World Rugby’s effective appeal to reinstate his red card penalty.
The captain of the England team is now facing a four-game suspension, causing him to sit out the upcoming matches against Argentina and Japan in the group stage, in addition to a pair of warm-up games.
Initially, Farrell’s red card had been nullified by an independent judicial panel, but this decision was later overturned on Tuesday. A contentious element of the suspension revolves around the inclusion of the Ireland match from the previous weekend as part of the served suspension.
One fan wrote: “Pathetic outcome.. how on earth can the Ireland game be included in the ban when he wasn’t selected.. rugby administrators..it’s a farce.Farrell is a persistent offender and the maximum penalty should applu.How bad does this bloke have to be before justice applied!”
A second commented: “Really? Include a match for which he wasn’t picked in the ban, retrospectively? …Farrell has been banned for four matches, but the suspension has been backdated to include the Ireland game on August 19.”
Another said: “World Rugby What a joke. 4 match ban for Farrell. How can you class a game he was not even picked for to be included within that said 4 matches. He should be banned for the first 3 RWC games not just 2. Pays to have ex-england international as chair of the WRC. !!!!!!!!!!”
FULL Owen Farrell verdict:
Following an initial Disciplinary Committee hearing for England number 10 Owen Farrell, who received a red card during the Summer Nations Series match between England and Wales on Saturday 12th August, World Rugby lodged a formal appeal against the Committees’ decision to downgrade the red card to a yellow, appealing for the red card to be upheld.
The Appeal Committee met on Tuesday 22nd August and unanimously determined that in the original hearing the Disciplinary Committee should have considered the attempt of the player to wrap his opponent in the tackle. This point did not feature in the original decision.
The failure to attempt to wrap was judged to be an important element of the Foul Play Review Officer’s (FPRO) report and had led to an upgrading of the referee’s yellow card to a red card during the match.
As this element did not feature in the original decision, the Appeal Committee decided it was in the interests of justice to hear the case afresh on that key point alone, which included hearing from the player.
Following the review by the Appeal Committee of this key element, it was determined that the FPRO was correct in his decision leading to the red card. The Appeal Committee subsequently determined that the tackle was ‘always illegal’.
When applying the terms of World Rugby’s Head Contact Process, no mitigation can be applied to a tackle that is ‘always illegal’.
The Appeal Committee therefore considered that the Disciplinary Committee’s decision to downgrade the red card to a yellow card had been manifestly wrong, which led to the Disciplinary Committee’s decision being overturned, the appeal brought by World Rugby being allowed, and the red card upheld.
In considering sanction, the Committee applied World Rugby’s mandatory minimum mid-range entry point for foul play resulting in contact with the head (six-matches). Taking all considerations into account, including the player’s acceptance of foul play, clear demonstration of remorse and his good character, the Committee agreed a four-match suspension.
The Appeal Committee accepted submissions on behalf of the player that the Ireland v England match on 19 August 2023, for which the player was voluntarily stood down would be included as part of the sanction. Therefore, the suspension applies to the following matches:
- Ireland v England 19 August 2023
- England v Fiji 26 August 2023
- England v Argentina 9 September 2023
- England v Japan 17 September 2023
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.