SA Rugby
World Rugby has heavily sanctioned SA Rugby’s director of rugby Rassie Erasmus over the leak of a 62-minute video questioning Australian referee Nic Berry’s contentious calls in the first test between the Springboks and British and Irish Lions earlier this year.
He's been banned for two months from all rugby with immediate effect.
He has also been banned from all “match-day activities” - including coaching, contact with match officials, and media engagement with immediate effect until 30 September 2022.
He's also been ordered to make an apology to the relevant match officials while SA Rugby will have to make a public apology to the match officials and was fined 20 000 pounds (around R400 000).
SA Rugby and Erasmus both issued a statement last night saying they would appeal the process.
THE CHARGES THAT ERASMUS WAS FOUND GUILTY OF, INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:
1. Threatened a match official that unless a requested meeting took place, he would publish footage containing clips criticising the match official’s performance and then making good on that threat; published or permitted to be published the Erasmus Video containing numerous comments that were either abusive, insulting and/or offensive to match officials;
2. Attacked, disparaged and/or denigrated the game and the match officials;
3. Did not accept or observe the authority and decisions of match officials;
4. Published or caused to be published criticism of the manner in which a match official handled a match;
5. Engaged in conduct or activity that may impair public confidence in the integrity and good character of match official(s); and
6. Brought the game into disrepute when he published or caused to be published Erasmus Video.
Two charges were brought by World Rugby against SA Rugby in accordance with World Rugby Regulation 18 and the World Rugby Code of Conduct. In summary, the charges were that SA Rugby:
1. Did not ensure that Rassie Erasmus complied with the World Rugby Code of Conduct and/or permitted Mr Erasmus to commit acts of misconduct; and/or did not publicly correct any comments or publications by or on behalf of Mr Erasmus that amounted to misconduct; and
2. Permitted and/or did not prevent Siya Kolisi and Mzwandile Stick to make comments at a press conference on 30 July 2021 that were not disciplined or sporting and adversely affected the game of rugby; and/or did not publicly correct any such comments so as adversely affected the game of rugby.
The panel found that the second charge was not proven, and therefore only found SA Rugby guilty on the one charge.
Issued by world rugby
