HEINEKEN CHAMPIONS CUP

Guy Porter suspended for three weeks

The Leicester Tigers centre, Guy Porter, has been suspended for three weeks following an independent Disciplinary Hearing by video conference arising from his club’s Heineken Champions Cup, Round of 16 1st leg match against ASM Clermont Auvergne at the Stade Marcel-Michelin.

Porter was sent off by the referee, Nika Amashukeli (Georgia), in the 60th minute of the match for making contact with the head of the ASM Clermont Auvergne No 8, Fritz Lee, in a reckless manner in contravention of Law 9.11.

Law 9.11 Players must not do anything that is reckless or dangerous to others
Under World Rugby’s Sanctions for Foul Play, Law 9.11 carries the following sanction entry points - Low End: 2 weeks; Mid-range: 6 weeks; Top end: 10 to 52 weeks.

Roger Morris (Wales), chair, David Humphreys (Ireland) and Frank Hadden (Scotland), considered video imagery of the incident and heard submissions from the player, who did not accept the red card decision, from the player’s legal representative, John Shea, from the Leicester Tigers General Manager, Leigh Jones, and from the EPCR Disciplinary Officer, Liam McTiernan.

The committee upheld the red card decision, finding that Porter had committed a reckless act of foul play that warranted a red card. It then determined that the offending was at the mid-range of World Rugby’s sanctions and six weeks was selected as the appropriate entry point.

Due to the player’s clear disciplinary record and his concern for Lee following the incident, it was decided to grant the full 50% mitigation and the committee therefore reduced the sanction by three weeks before imposing a three-week suspension.

As Leicester Tigers are scheduled to play a Premiership Rugby Cup semi-final on Tuesday, 26 April, Porter is free to play on Wednesday, 27 April. However, if he applies for and completes a World Rugby Coaching Intervention, he will be free to play on Monday, 25 April.

Both the player and EPCR have the right to appeal the decision.

EPCR CHALLENGE CUP

Axel Muller suspended for five weeks

The CA Brive full back, Axel Muller, has been suspended for five weeks following an independent Disciplinary Hearing by video conference arising from his club’s EPCR Challenge Cup, Round 5 match against Saracens at Stade Amédée Domenech.

Muller was sent off by the referee, Mike Adamson (Scotland), in the 71st minute of the match for tackling the Saracens replacement wing, Ben Harris, in a dangerous manner in contravention of Law 9.13.

Law 9.13 A player must not tackle an opponent dangerously
Under World Rugby’s Sanctions for Foul Play, Law 9.13 relating to dangerous tackling carries the following sanction entry points - Low End: 2 weeks; Mid-range: 6 weeks; Top end: 10 to 52 weeks.

Samantha Hillas QC (England), chair, Andrea Caranci (Italy) and Val Toma (Romania), considered video imagery of the incident and heard submissions from the player, who accepted the red card decision, from the player’s legal representative, Neil Robertson, from the CA Brive Head Coach, Jeremy Davidson, and from the EPCR Disciplinary Officer, Liam McTiernan.

The committee upheld the red card decision, finding that Muller had committed an intentional and dangerous act of foul play that warranted a red card. It then determined that the offending was at the top end of World Rugby’s sanctions and 10 weeks was selected as the appropriate entry point.

Due to the player’s clear disciplinary record and his guilty plea, and as there were no aggravating factors, it was decided to grant the full 50% mitigation and the committee therefore reduced the sanction by five weeks before imposing a five-week suspension.

Muller will be free to play pending confirmation of CA Brive’s forthcoming match schedule and pending any application for a World Rugby Coaching Intervention.

Both the player and EPCR have the right to appeal the decision.

Notes

(i) Red Cards
a) The case of any player sent off in Heineken Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup matches shall be adjudicated by an independent Disciplinary Committee or an independent Judicial Officer as soon as is practicable.
b) Until the hearing the player is ineligible to play in any tournament.
(ii) Citing Commissioner
a) Citing Commissioners are appointed by EPCR for all Heineken Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup matches and shall be entitled to cite a player for any act or acts of Foul Play that in the Citing Commissioner’s opinion warranted a red card.
b) For such matches, clubs will not have the power to cite a player but may refer incidents to the Citing Commissioner within 26 hours of the start of the match.
c) The Citing Commissioner will have 50 hours from the start of the match to make a citing. In certain circumstances this deadline can be extended.
d) The tournament Disciplinary Officer may forward the submitted citing to a Citing Officer to determine whether there are sufficient grounds for the citing to progress.
e) The Disciplinary Officer will then bring a charge against the cited player.
(iii) Disciplinary Hearing
a) The independent Disciplinary Committee or independent Judicial Officer are chosen by the chairman of the independent Disciplinary Panel, Mike Hamlin.
b) EPCR’s Disciplinary Officer presents the case against the player.
c) If a decision is upheld, the Disciplinary Committee or Judicial Officer will be required to consider the appropriate sanction under World Rugby’s sanctioning regime, which EPCR is obliged to follow. The seriousness of the player’s actions will be first assessed in order to determine which of the three stipulated entry points (lower end, mid-range and top end) is the most appropriate.
d) The Disciplinary Committee or Judicial Officer will determine the appropriate entry point based on an assessment of a number of particular characteristics of the player’s actions, including whether or not they were intentional, whether or not they caused any injuries and whether or not they had any effect on the relevant match.
e) After deciding the entry point, the Disciplinary Committee or Judicial Officer will then consider whether the suspension should be increased from the entry point to take account of certain specified aggravating factors, such as a poor disciplinary record or the need for deterrence, and/or decreased from the entry point to take account of certain specified mitigating actions, such as a guilty plea, a good disciplinary record, the player’s conduct at the hearing and expressions of remorse.
f) A suspension is a blanket ban from playing rugby union anywhere in the world. Players are suspended on the basis that a one-week period of suspension would ordinarily result in a player missing one match. Suspensions take into account periods of inactivity (such as the close season), periods when a player is injured or otherwise not fit to play, and when a player is not available or not expected to play. Suspensions should also take into account any out-of-season matches which are not considered to be meaningful, or which are not close enough to the season to be a determining factor in a player’s future selection.
g) Both parties to the hearing (EPCR and the player) have the right to appeal decisions. Appeals must be lodged within three (3) working days of receiving the full written decision of the Disciplinary Committee or Judicial Officer.
h) The full written decision will be available on www.epcrugby.com/discipline/hearing-decisions when the disciplinary process is complete.
i) For World Rugby’s Sanctions for Foul Play, found at Appendix 1 to World Rugby Regulation 17, go to www.world.rugby/organisation/governance/regulations/reg-17/appendix-1

See below for details of disciplinary decisions arising from the Heineken Champions Cup Round of 16 1st leg and EPCR Challenge Cup Round 5.