Rugby league player hit with 20-year ban after incident with referee

A young rugby league player in France has been hit with a 20-year ban from the game after allegedly hitting a match official.

The incident took place during an Under-19 Elite clash between Racing Club de Saint-Gaudens and Limoux on December 15.

It is claimed that the Saint-Gaudens player, who has not been named in French reports, committed an act of violence towards the referee after the game, punching the official before allegedly following them back to the changing rooms.

According to French Rugby League Federation regulations, such an act can carry punishments ranging from a four-month suspension to a permanent ban from the sport. As such, the 17-year-old’s ban is on the heavier side but it was one the disciplinary panel clearly felt was fitting.

Following the incident, a delegation of French rugby league referees released a statement, which has been translated through Google, to express their concern about violence towards match officials: “Like you, they are human, and they can sometimes make mistakes.

“Today, the observation is clear. Whatever the match, whatever the championship or the category, the refereeing body is the constant target of multiple attacks. From insults to threats to obscene gestures, every referee has already experienced this horrible situation.

“Their authors, coaches, supporters, players or managers sometimes forget the values ​​of our sport. Recently, physical attacks against us have multiplied. A young referee was again attacked in the face recently.

“This new attack is a straw that breaks the camel’s back. Every year, many young boys and girls approach regional officials to start refereeing. And unfortunately, too many of them stop shortly after, disgusted with spending their afternoons enduring insults and threats on the side of a pitch.”