A viral incident has angered rugby fans as the perpetrator somehow escaped the incident unpunished before later being given a single match ban.
The player wrote on reddit: “I’m the guy who got his lights knocked out. 2 weeks of concussive symptoms, and two months into rehab for my left MCL and I find out this is only worthy of a one match ban.
“You could argue that the first impact was unintentional. But I would argue that he intentionally did not hold back. Anyone here who’s played rugby for a number of years can see that he was in no position to contest the ruck. I’d like to think most of us would’ve just held back from crashing in knees first into a ruck.
“I don’t have much else to say about the follow through. Needless to say there was no card given during the match.
“Given the recent bans/cards given out at an alarming rate, for clearouts less dangerous than this. I found it absolutely ridiculous for it to be a one match ban.
“It’s probably my fourth or fifth concussion over 15 years of playing. And I’m seriously considering walking away from the sport I love so much. Being sidelined for over two months being unable to exercise has really taken its toll. Now that I’m a new father as well, maybe I need to stop putting myself in risky situations…”
INCIDENT:
Reacting to the incident, one fan wrote: “They must have used Owen Farrell’s legal team.”
Another commented: “Looks pretty deliberate to me. No reason to go in like he did other than to hit someone with the knee. And then follows through with the kick. One match ban is disgraceful.”
A third said: “This is shockingly bad. I hope you’re ok. I think, as a general rule, that if you commit a foul in sport that would warrant an actual prison sentence in normal life then your ban should be extensive.”