A Namibian club player has been banned from playing rugby for life following an altercation with a referee last month. He was also banned from all forms of rugby, including coaching, refereeing and administration, for 156 weeks until May 31, 2027.
It was on May 18 that a player from the Grootfontein club ran towards a match referee and tackled him to the ground. The player in question received a red card, and the referee immediately canceled the match out of concern for his safety.
Twelve days later, on May 30, a disciplinary hearing was held, and after reviewing the referee’s report and video of the red card incident, it was decided to severely punish the offending player.
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Video of the incident during the game against the Falcons showed play being stopped so the referee could reprimand another Grootfontein player when he hit the floor.
A social media statement from the Namibia Rugby Union reads: “A serious incident occurred where a player from Grootfontein Rugby Club tackled the match referee, resulting in a premature end to the match.
Grootfontein vs. Falcons match in Namibia. ‘Tackling’ a referee resulted in a 156-week ban from all rugby activities and a lifetime ban from playing. To be fair, you can’t do that to a referee! pic.twitter.com/L34xj4A1qU
— Kevin Osiallaigh (@koceallaigh) June 3, 2024
“Following a disciplinary hearing, the NRU announced a lifetime ban from playing rugby from May 30 and a ban from all rugby activities for 156 weeks.
“Our commitment to the safety and integrity of rugby is unwavering. Further details and appeal rights can be found in our statement.”
