Martin Castrogiovanni has been ordered to pay ?10,000 to charity and banned for four matches (ban suspended) as a result of a misconduct complaint lodged against him by EPCR following Toulon's European Rugby Champions match against Leicester Tigers at Welford Road on December 7.
Castrogiovanni appeared before an independent Disciplinary Committee made up of Antony Davies (England, Chairman), Roger Morris (Wales) and Pat Barriscale (Ireland) in London on Wednesday. He was accompanied by his legal representative, Julian Pike, Toulon team manager Tom Whitford and his agent, Matthew Ginvert.
The misconduct complaint was that after the match he made a number of comments to the media in which he attacked, disparaged, criticised, damaged and/or brought into disrepute Leicester Tigers, the club's director of rugby Richard Cockerill, EPCR, the European Rugby Champions Cup and the sport of rugby in contravention of the Disciplinary Rules of the European Rugby Champions Cup Participation Agreement.
After considering evidence and hearing submissions on behalf of Castrogiovanni, who pleaded guilty, and on behalf of the EPCR Disciplinary Officer, the Disciplinary Committee found that Castrogiovanni was guilty of misconduct and that the comments made were utterly indefensible.
Committee Chairman, Antony Davies, accepted that Castrogiovanni's comments regarding Leicester Tigers being "amateur” were made in an ironic and questioning manner, and therefore did not constitute criticism. He also acknowledged the player's genuine remorse.
Castrogiovanni was ordered to pay €;10,000 to a charity in the city of Leicester and was banned for four matches with the ban suspended until April 30, 2016. The ban will be activated in the event of any off-field misconduct complaint being successfully brought against him. He was also ordered to pay costs.
Delon Armitage of RC Toulon has been suspended for 12 weeks as a result of a misconduct complaint lodged against him by EPCR following his club's European Rugby Champions Cup Round 3 match against Leicester Tigers at Welford Road.
Armitage appeared before an independent Disciplinary Committee made up of Antony Davies (England, Chairman), Roger Morris (Wales) and Pat Barriscale (Ireland) in London on Wednesday. He was accompanied by legal representatives Mark Milliken-Smith QC and Julian Pike, and by RC Toulon team manager Tom Whitford and the Toulon player Drew Mitchell.
The misconduct complaint against Armitage was that during and after the match he was alleged to have conducted himself in an unsportsmanlike manner by making a number of comments to, or within earshot of, spectators using foul and abusive language and may have brought into disrepute the sport of rugby union, the European Rugby Champions Cup, other clubs and persons and/or EPCR in contravention of the Disciplinary Rules of the European Rugby Champions Cup Participation Agreement 2014/15.
After considering evidence and hearing submissions on behalf of Armitage, who pleaded not guilty, and on behalf of the EPCR Disciplinary Officer, the independent Disciplinary Committee was not satisfied that a comment allegedly made by Armitage during the match had been made as the inconsistencies in the evidence were too great.
However, the Committee was satisfied that Armitage had directed abusive language at Leicester Tigers supporters after the match, and while it found that his comments were provoked, the Committee decided he was guilty of misconduct.
The Committee determined that the sanction entry point should be eight weeks, and as this was Armitage's second post-match misconduct case in the last four years, and as there were no mitigating factors, it decided to add four weeks to the ban before imposing a suspension of 12 weeks. Armitage was also ordered to pay costs.
The suspension will run from December 17 until March 8, and Armitage will be free to play on 9 March 2015. Both the player and EPCR have the right to appeal the decision.
Castrogiovanni appeared before an independent Disciplinary Committee made up of Antony Davies (England, Chairman), Roger Morris (Wales) and Pat Barriscale (Ireland) in London on Wednesday. He was accompanied by his legal representative, Julian Pike, Toulon team manager Tom Whitford and his agent, Matthew Ginvert.
The misconduct complaint was that after the match he made a number of comments to the media in which he attacked, disparaged, criticised, damaged and/or brought into disrepute Leicester Tigers, the club's director of rugby Richard Cockerill, EPCR, the European Rugby Champions Cup and the sport of rugby in contravention of the Disciplinary Rules of the European Rugby Champions Cup Participation Agreement.
After considering evidence and hearing submissions on behalf of Castrogiovanni, who pleaded guilty, and on behalf of the EPCR Disciplinary Officer, the Disciplinary Committee found that Castrogiovanni was guilty of misconduct and that the comments made were utterly indefensible.
Committee Chairman, Antony Davies, accepted that Castrogiovanni's comments regarding Leicester Tigers being "amateur” were made in an ironic and questioning manner, and therefore did not constitute criticism. He also acknowledged the player's genuine remorse.
Castrogiovanni was ordered to pay €;10,000 to a charity in the city of Leicester and was banned for four matches with the ban suspended until April 30, 2016. The ban will be activated in the event of any off-field misconduct complaint being successfully brought against him. He was also ordered to pay costs.
Delon Armitage of RC Toulon has been suspended for 12 weeks as a result of a misconduct complaint lodged against him by EPCR following his club's European Rugby Champions Cup Round 3 match against Leicester Tigers at Welford Road.
Armitage appeared before an independent Disciplinary Committee made up of Antony Davies (England, Chairman), Roger Morris (Wales) and Pat Barriscale (Ireland) in London on Wednesday. He was accompanied by legal representatives Mark Milliken-Smith QC and Julian Pike, and by RC Toulon team manager Tom Whitford and the Toulon player Drew Mitchell.
The misconduct complaint against Armitage was that during and after the match he was alleged to have conducted himself in an unsportsmanlike manner by making a number of comments to, or within earshot of, spectators using foul and abusive language and may have brought into disrepute the sport of rugby union, the European Rugby Champions Cup, other clubs and persons and/or EPCR in contravention of the Disciplinary Rules of the European Rugby Champions Cup Participation Agreement 2014/15.
After considering evidence and hearing submissions on behalf of Armitage, who pleaded not guilty, and on behalf of the EPCR Disciplinary Officer, the independent Disciplinary Committee was not satisfied that a comment allegedly made by Armitage during the match had been made as the inconsistencies in the evidence were too great.
However, the Committee was satisfied that Armitage had directed abusive language at Leicester Tigers supporters after the match, and while it found that his comments were provoked, the Committee decided he was guilty of misconduct.
The Committee determined that the sanction entry point should be eight weeks, and as this was Armitage's second post-match misconduct case in the last four years, and as there were no mitigating factors, it decided to add four weeks to the ban before imposing a suspension of 12 weeks. Armitage was also ordered to pay costs.
The suspension will run from December 17 until March 8, and Armitage will be free to play on 9 March 2015. Both the player and EPCR have the right to appeal the decision.
