Billy Vunipola Banned for Three Games

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/aug/23/billy-vunipola-banned-from-start-of-englands-rugby-world-cup-campaign

Entry point of 6 games, reduced to three due to good disciplinary record. I imagine he will take the option of tackling school and have it reduced ti two games.

So I guess misses the opening WC match and back after that.

7 points · 4 comments · view on lemmy.world

4 Comments

zartcosgrove@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 3y (1 reply)

Oh thank the lord the judiciary system has seen some sense. Yay for him, yay for Faz

ETA after RTFA:

“Having acknowledged mitigating factors including his exemplary previous record, immediate apology and remorse, and noted the absence of any aggravating factors, the committee reduced the six week entry point by three weeks,” Six Nations Rugby said in a statement.

Immediate apology and remorse? WHAT? Did they watch the replay? He just couldn't help yelling at the ref. Paul Williams is far more nonchalant then I would have been. I might've shown him the red right there.

theboy@feddit.uk · 1 pts · 3y

I may be wrong, but I think in this context “immediate apology” just means in the context of the hearing. As in, they came in and read a statement along the lines of “yeah, it’s a fair cop guv” and didn’t make the panel actually try and argue their case.

YurkshireLad@lemmy.ca · 2 pts · 3y (1 reply)

I’m sure the lawyer they sent in with Billy gave him a good talking to beforehand and said “admit you screwed up, plead guilty”. It isn’t about giving a reasonable decision, it’s about how the system can be gamed by lawyers.

Olap@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 3y

In the heat of a game reason is often hard to find. I find the contrition and acceptance far better than him saying he did nothing wrong after the fact