A Namibian rugby player has been given a lifetime ban after tackling a referee to the ground during a game last month.
The incident unfolded after the player, who has not been named, reacted to the referee who displayed a yellow card toward one of his Grootfontein teammates during a game against the Reho Falcons.
The player then flattened the referee in a tackle.
Reho Falcons players could be seen putting their arms in the air in reaction to the incident. The player who tackled the ref is then dragged away.
The referee called off the match early due to “concerns for his safety”. The unnamed player was handed a 156-week ban from all forms of rugby, including coaching and refereeing, along with a lifetime ban from playing the sport.
In a post to Facebook, the Namibian Rugby Union said the committee “emphasised the severity of the offence” noting the potential for serious injury to the match official, the deliberate nature of the act, and the negative impact on the NRU and the sport of rugby internationally.
“The NRU reaffirms its commitment to upholding the integrity and safety of the sport and will not tolerate any actions that jeopardise these values.”
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