The biggest bans in rugby this season: Welshman banned for 10 years

Rugby wouldn’t be what it is without a few bad guys. But every now and then, some players cross the line, turning their brutal tackles and spirited trash-talking into dangerous, reckless fouls and just plain unacceptable behaviour.

In these cases, players are punished with bans, with the worst offenses receiving long suspensions. Many players are sidelined for a few weeks, others may be banned from the game for months or, in rare cases, for life.

There have been some significant suspensions imposed over the last 12 months, from the Community game through to the Six Nations and the World Cup. Here are some of the biggest suspensions we’ve seen in rugby over the last year.

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George Moala – five weeks

During Tonga’s World Cup warm-up match against Canada, centre Moala was shown a red card for a tackle on Ben LeSage. The former All Black himself had no complaints about the decision, but the Pacific Islanders were furious when he was initially banned for ten matches, which would have banned him for the entire Rugby World Cup and beyond.

After a disciplinary committee considered mitigating circumstances, the ban was reduced to five matches and Moala made one World Cup appearance, scoring a goal in a group match against Romania. However, anger over the length of his ban was still high when the red card given to then England captain Owen Farrell for an illegal tackle against Wales was overturned that same week.

Jonathan Danty – five weeks

The French centre was sent off during the Six Nations match against Italy as his side’s season went from bad to worse ahead of the trip to Wales. Danty missed the rest of the tournament after being shown a yellow card, later upgraded to a red card, for a dangerous head-to-head tackle on Italy’s Juan Ignacio Brex at the end of the first half in Lille.

A disciplinary committee ruled that the incident warranted a six-week suspension. The ban was reduced by two weeks as the player acknowledged his guilt and apologised, but a further week was added due to his disciplinary record after receiving a red card for La Rochelle in December.

Paul Willemse – five weeks (and four weeks)

Danty’s international teammate has been suspended for over two months this season and has served two lengthy bans over the course of the campaign. Earlier this year he became the second player in Six Nations history to be sent off twice in the tournament, receiving a four-match ban after picking up two yellow cards against Ireland, three years after picking up a red card against Wales.

After his return, Willemse played just three games for his club Montpellier before receiving his second red card of the season. The lock was sent off in the 41st minute of the Challenge Cup match against Ulster in April and banned for five weeks, while his team squandered a 17-7 lead to lose 40-17 in his absence.

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Murray Koster – five weeks

The Sharks centre was shown a red card in the final moments of his team’s URC clash with Benetton in May after making head-to-head contact with an opponent during a breakdown. The reckless clearance carried a maximum ban of 10 weeks, but due to his exemplary disciplinary behaviour, that ban was halved to five weeks.

Emily Robinson – five weeks

In December, the Harlequins winger was sent off after the final whistle for head-butting Saracens centre Sydney Gregson, sparking chaotic scenes. Gregson appeared to take exception to a comment from Quins player Ella Cromack while holding the ball and shoved her opponent backwards – before Robinson charged head-first at her.

There was chaos as substitutes flooded the pitch, but referee Mike Hudson managed to calm things down before showing the back row a red card. Robinson was given a five-week ban and admitted at the disciplinary hearing that she was “disappointed in herself”.

Fane Eti Haungatau – five weeks

The USA centre was banned for five weeks in October for an “absolutely brutal” tackle on Welsh link Robyn Wilkins after recklessly flying into the tackle at full speed and making shoulder-to-head contact. The offence was only given a yellow card in Wales’ 38-13 victory, with referee Clara Munarini saying Wilkins’ small size was a major factor in the card being yellow rather than red.

However, Haungatau was later cited by an independent judicial panel, which ruled that there were no applicable mitigating measures under World Rugby’s head contact procedures. The panel initially imposed a 10-week suspension, but after acknowledging that there were no aggravating circumstances, the player admitted foul play, showed remorse and had no disciplinary record, the suspension was reduced to five weeks.

Frank Lomani – six weeks

The Fijian international was shown a red card during Fiji Drua’s clash with the Melbourne Rebels in April after he brutally elbowed Rebels player Josh Canham directly in the head. The Australian bled profusely as spectators groaned as the shocking incident was replayed.

Lomani was banned for six weeks, which was reduced from ten weeks following an early guilty plea and “other relevant mitigating circumstances”. However, this verdict sparked widespread surprise and outrage, with many feeling he should have received a much harsher punishment and some expecting him to be banned for the rest of the season.

Jasper Wiese – six weeks

The Springbok star’s career at Leicester Tigers came to a shocking end when he was shown the red card on the final day of the Premiership season against Exeter Chiefs. The number 8 was sent off after pushing Ross Vintcent headfirst into the ground during a tackling. Pundits and commentators described his dismissal as a “terrible final act” and a “moment of madness”.

Wiese, who is set to move to Japan this summer, was given a six-week suspension, meaning he will miss the game against Wales at Twickenham on June 22, as well as the Springboks’ two test matches against Ireland, a friendly against Portugal and a Rugby Championship doubleheader against Australia.

Johnny Williams – six weeks

The Scarlets centre has been handed a six-week ban, just a day after being banned from playing for Wales’ Six Nations team. At a disciplinary hearing, Williams’ head-to-head collision with Clermont centre Julien Heriteau was deemed to be Rugby World’s highest penalty for a dangerous tackle – penalties range from 10 to 52 weeks.

Taking into account the injuries sustained by the Clermont centre, the committee concluded that 12 weeks was the appropriate time limit for the “dangerous and reckless” tackle. However, that time limit was halved as Williams apologised to Heriteau and accepted the charge.

Luke Stratford – seven weeks

The Leicester Tigers forward coach has been suspended for seven weeks for verbally abusing a referee during his team’s Women’s Premiership Rugby loss to Bristol in January.

Stratford was charged with using a foul word during the match and calling fourth official Adam White a “joke”. A disciplinary panel found him guilty of “conduct prejudicial to the interests of the game”. At the hearing, the former Jersey Reds hooker “fully accepted” that his behaviour was “inappropriate and unacceptable”.

Matt Cairns – 12 weeks

The Caldy RFC head coach has been suspended for 12 weeks after being accused of verbally abusing/disrespecting a referee and “engaging in conduct prejudicial to the interests of the game” during his team’s match against Doncaster Knights on April 13. Cairns admitted the charge but disputed some details in the referees’ statements.

Unnamed Welsh rugby player – 10 years

An unnamed Welsh rugby player was given a hefty ten-year ban earlier this year after the Welsh Rugby Association issued a bold statement declaring it would not shy away from taking tough decisions on referee abuse.

The player was banned for a decade due to the “exceptionally serious nature of the offence”, which represented significant and unacceptable disrespect towards a young referee.

WRU community director Geraint John said: “We will not tolerate bad behaviour. We are determined to stamp it out. But to do that we need the support of everyone in the clubs, in the school and in the minis and juniors to help us do that.”

Unnamed Grootfontein Rugby Club player – lifetime ban

A Namibian rugby player has been banned for life after throwing a referee out of the game during a match between Grootfontein Rugby Club and Reho Falcons in May. In shocking footage, the Grootfontein player is seen walking away from the other players, then turning around, sprinting towards the referee and brutally attacking him.

After recovering from the blow, the referee showed the player a red card and ended the game early for safety reasons. At a disciplinary hearing, the player was subsequently banned from playing rugby for life and banned from all rugby sport, including coaching, refereeing and administration, for 156 weeks.