Lewis Ludlow of Gloucester appeared before an independent disciplinary panel yesterday evening. He was cited by independent citing commissioner Andy Blyth following the match Wasps v Gloucester on Saturday 6 October 2018 for stamping or trampling Wasps’ Elliot Daly contrary to Law 9.12.
Ludlow contested the charge but was found guilty by the independent disciplinary panel comprising Gareth Graham (chair) with Matthew Weaver and Martyn Wood. He was given a four week suspension and is free to play again on Tuesday 6 November 2018.
Independent panel chair Gareth Graham said: “The panel accepted that this was a dynamic situation; the incident occurred over a very short period. The player knew that there were bodies on the floor and, in counter-rucking, attempted to step over them.
“In so doing, he ran the risk that he may commit an act of foul play by making contact with the head or body of an opposition player. By stepping on the opposition player, his actions fell squarely within the definition of a reckless act under the RFU Regulations. The panel found that this act of foul play passed the red card threshold.
“The mandatory entry point for contact to the head is mid-range under the sanction table; a ban of six weeks. The player did not accept the charge. He expressed remorse for his actions and had positive character references. While he has one previous matter on his record, it was four years old. The panel felt that on balance, taking into account all factors, they could reduce the overall sanction by two weeks to take account of his mitigation. He is free to play again on the 6 November.”
For background detail on panel members please click here.
For the NEW 2018/2019 sanctions table effective from 1 August 2018 (RFU Regulation 19 Appendix 2) please click here.