A rugby player has been banned from the sport for nearly five years after assaulting a referee. Bizarrely, the official didn't even realise he had been attacked, believing the incident to be accidental until video and witness accounts showed it was a deliberate act.
The incident occurred during a clash between Perth Bayswater and Associates in Western Australia's top premiership competition, the WA Rugby Premier Grade, on April 22. During the game, an unnamed player ran into referee Ian Sunderland from behind, knocking him over and leaving him injured.
While the official initally believed the collision to have been an accident, and took no further action during the game, witnesses argued differently with video footage of the incident backing up their claims. After being cited under World Rugby Law 9.28 for physical abuse of a Match Official, The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the player has now been hit with a huge 96-game ban.
