The Longest Rugby Bans in History (Ranked 10-1)

Yet throughout its history, some players have pushed far beyond those boundaries, earning themselves some of the sport’s longest bans.

Even England stars Dylan Hartley and Joe Marler, two of rugby’s most frequently banned players, didn’t make this list!

From acts of violence to outright deception, here are the most infamous suspensions ever handed out in rugby union — a cautionary tale for any player tempted to cross the line.

A moment of madness in 1994 effectively ended Johan Le Roux’s international career. During a Test match in Wellington, the Springbok prop stunned fans by biting the ear of All Blacks legend Sean Fitzpatrick. The disciplinary response was swift and severe: an 18-month suspension. Even his own rugby union turned on him, with the South African RFU president condemning his actions as bringing "shame" upon the country.

Few bans have caused as much uproar as the one handed to Richard Nones in 1999. The Colomiers prop became the only professional player to receive the full two-year suspension for gouging after an incident in a heated Heineken Cup clash against Pontypridd.

His appeal was thrown out following a three-hour hearing in Edinburgh, with ERC chairman Jean-Pierre Lux issuing a stern warning to all players about future conduct. Despite the backlash in France, the punishment stood and remains one of the harshest for on-field violence in a professional game on Welsh soil.

Trouble seemed to follow Julien Caminati from the beginning of his rugby journey. At just 18, the French winger received a three-year suspension for spitting at a referee in a fourth division game — a punishment later reduced to 26 months when he moved to Nice.

Yet his list of indiscretions didn’t stop there. During his time at Brive, Caminati was banned for another six months following a drug offence, and picked up additional suspensions of three weeks for punching an opponent and 10 days for a red card.

In a shocking incident during an Italian club match in 2016, Argentinian-born Bruno Andres Doglioli left spectators stunned when he blindsided referee Maria Beatrice Benvenuti with a late and brutal hit.

The vicious act left her with whiplash, and although Doglioli was initially only shown a yellow card, the fallout was swift. He was suspended by his club and ultimately banned from all competitive sport for three years — the harshest rugby sanction Italy had seen in two decades. The Italian Rugby Federation used the case to reinforce its zero-tolerance stance on violent conduct.

As Harlequins coach, Dean Richards orchestrated the infamous Bloodgate incident in 2009, faking a blood injury to make a tactical substitution during a crucial Heineken Cup match against Leinster. Quins winger Tom Williams bit into a fake blood capsule, enabling a fresh goal-kicker to come on.

The deception unravelled quickly, leading to bans for Richards, Williams, and the team’s physio. Richards received a three-year suspension — a dramatic fall for a man once revered in the sport.

Chaos broke out during a 2007 match between Toulouse and Ulster when flanker Trevor Brennan leapt into the crowd and assaulted a fan. Brennan claimed he was provoked by insults about his mother, but the governing body didn’t accept the justification.

Initially announcing his retirement, he was later banned for life — a sentence reduced to five years on appeal. He was also fined £17,000 and ordered to pay compensation to the supporter he attacked. It remains one of the most controversial acts ever seen on a rugby field.

A single act of violence turned Cipriano Martinez into one of rugby’s most notorious figures. In 2016, amateur footage emerged of the Argentine prop savagely kicking a grounded opponent in the head during a club match. His own team, Pucara, immediately handed down a 99-year ban. That was followed by an official sanction from the Buenos Aires Rugby Union — a staggering 1,508-week (29-year) suspension. The sport was appalled by the level of brutality, and Martinez became a global symbol of what rugby must never allow.

A mass brawl in an Argentine club match between Huazihul San Juan and Personal Bank Mendoza led to a disciplinary crackdown. Pablo De La Plata bore the brunt, receiving a life ban — technically set to expire in 2041 — after his role in the melee. He wasn’t alone, with teammates also picking up suspensions of up to ten years. The message from rugby authorities in Argentina was clear: there would be no tolerance for thuggery, even at amateur level.

Known as one of the game’s most fearsome enforcers, Michel Palmie built a reputation for ruthless physicality. Stories of him gouging and punching even friends during matches were legendary, and he was once described by Welsh hooker Bobby Windsor as the hardest man he ever played against. But in 1978, Palmie went too far. After punching Racing Club’s Armand Clerc, the French lock left his opponent partially blind in one eye. That act brought a lifetime ban — one of the earliest and most serious in French rugby history.

In a list full of infamy, Chris Jones stands apart — not just for his actions but for being banned for life, twice. The former Treorchy prop openly admits to a career defined by violence, saying he would “kick or stamp on an opponent’s head without a second thought.” Known for keeping an axe in his kit bag and having a “psychopath” reputation on the field, Jones’s behaviour eventually led to a lifetime ban. But when he attempted a comeback, he was banned again, cementing his place in rugby’s hall of shame.

Though a name was never revealed, one Namibian club player delivered one of the most disturbing moments in recent memory. In 2024, during a game between Grootfontein Rugby Club and Reho Falcons, he suddenly turned and sprinted toward the referee, launching a full-speed tackle. The referee, recovering from the blow, showed a red card and abandoned the game. The player was later banned for life, and suspended from all rugby activities for 156 weeks — a chilling reminder of the game's limits.