Five-week suspension for Tameifuna
04th September 2014 06:32
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Waikato tighthead Ben Tameifuna has been
given a five-week suspension following his shove on referee Glen Jackson
in a recent ITM Cup fixture.
The incident, which took place in the Mooloos 22-16 win over
North Harbour, saw the 23-year-old push the former fly-half to the floor
on the try-line
Tameifuna was handed his punishment after a three-hour hearing
that found he'd immediately apologised to Jackson after the fixture and
he also "accepted his actions were inexcusable".
"Having taking into account the evidence, the player's post-match
apology to the referee, his full acknowledgement that his actions were
inappropriate, I have endeavoured to impose a proportionate sanction
taking into account other similar situations from overseas decisions,"
said Judicial Officer Chris Morris.
"However it is imperative that players instinctively know that it
is never, under any circumstances, appropriate for a player to abuse,
verbally or physically, a match official.
"Taking all those factors into account, I find that a suspension
of five weeks is appropriate and proportionate to the offending. Ben
Tameifuna is banned immediately from all rugby up to and including 5
October."
