Pau boss Sébastien Piqueronies has been handed a 10-week ban after a panel found him guilty of using ‘threatening words and actions’ towards a referee.
A disciplinary panel decided the incident pictured here was a “threatening action” rather than “physical abuse” after he appeared to yank the arm of Scottish official Sam Grove-White.
According to a press release issued by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) on Thursday morning, Piqueronies “accepted that he had made inappropriate physical contact” with Grove-White.
The incident was a brief exchange at the end of his side’s 21-16 loss to the Cheetahs in the Challenge Cup last weekend.
And because Piqueronies has a clean record, he has been banned for only ten games.
Reacting to the sanction, one fan wrote: “That should have been a hefty ban. No two ways about it.”
A second said: “This kind of behaviour doesn’t belong in our great game..”
Another commented: “That is disgusting behaviour. No rugby ref should put up with that.”
Wayne Barnes ranks the five toughest players to referee
#5. Joe Marler (England)
Joe Marler facts:
- Marler started his career at Haywards Heath RFC in Sussex where he played in the same side as fellow England international Billy Twelvetrees
- After joining the Quins academy in 2008, the prop spent some time on loan to Esher and Worthing
- He’s been nicknamed Croissant. In his own words, it’s because: “The boys think I have a nose that looks like a French pastry.”
- Marler was captain for England at U18s level and represented the U20 squad throughout the Junior World Championship in summer 2009
- He is also one of the hosts of The Joe Marler Show podcast with Tom Fordyce