Exeter Chiefs wing Jack Nowell has been fined and will undertake a referees’ course after criticising Karl Dickson on social media.
The England international appeared before an independent disciplinary panel after being charged with ‘committing conduct prejudicial to the interests of the game’ with the tweet he posted during the match between Leicester Tigers and Exeter Chiefs.
£10,000 fine
The 30-year-old tweeted the following in reaction to Olly Woodburn’s second yellow card: “I’m actually in shock, like shock shocked. What the hell is happening? That’s one of the worst decisions I’ve ever seen. EVER”.
Nowell has not been suspended for his action and will be available for Exeter Chiefs’ penultimate Premiership regular season match against Bristol Bears this weekend. He is also free to face La Rochelle in the side’s Champions Cup semi-final next week.
However, he has been fined £10,000 and will undergo a referees’ course.
“Mr Nowell accepted his conduct was prejudicial to the interests of the game and he was fined £10,000 and directed to undertake a referees’ course. The panel directed the fine be paid to charity,” an RFU statement read.
Independent disciplinary panel chair Matthew O’Grady remarked: “Debate about on-field decisions by players and officials is an inevitable part of rugby union, and professional rugby players have the right to express themselves about the sport they play.
“However, they are not free from the consequences of such expression when it breaches their professional obligation not to act prejudicially to the interests of the game by disrespecting match officials, their decisions and their authority – not least when that expression contributes to a ‘pile on’ of public comment about a match official or match officials.
“Respect for match officials – even if we disagree with their decisions, indeed especially if we disagree with their decisions – is a core part of rugby union. It is not a value that we can turn on and off when we choose.
“Mr Nowell accepted his tweet, which was viewed many hundreds of thousands of times, was not fair comment and crossed the line of what is acceptable by a person with his considerable status in the game.”
Correct decision
Meanwhile, the statement also noted that World Rugby confirmed that referee Dickson correctly applied the Law in the situation that Nowell commented on.
“During the Leicester Tigers v Exeter Chiefs game which saw the penalty try and a yellow card awarded. Law 13.4 is clear that players cannot fall on or over players on the ground, and tackle law 14.8 says arriving players at a tackle must come from the direction of their own goal line and stay on their feet,” the statement added.
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