England loosehead prop Joe Marler has been banned for six weeks, with four of thoses suspended, following his 'inappropriate' comments playing for Harlequins against Bristol Bears on Tuesday.
Marler sparked a fracas at a scrum in the first half of Bristol's 15-12 win at the Twickenham Stoop in Round 13 when his comments to Bears flanker Jake Heenan, reported to be about his ill mother, incensed the New Zealand flanker.
Marler was cited after the match and a disciplinary hearing, chaired by Gareth Graham sitting with Becky Essex and Leon Lloyd heard the case this afternoon.
Marler accepted a charge under RFU Rule 5.12 for conduct prejudicial to the game.
The panel chair, Gareth Graham said: “The player accepted that his conduct was prejudicial to the interests of the game.
"As has been said by previous rugby disciplinary panels, rugby’s core values are not empty words or slogans which can be signed up to and then ignored. They are not to be treated as useful bolt-ons dreamt up by a marketing team. They are integral to the game and are what make the game special.
"The insulting and offensive comments made by the player were wholly inappropriate; such comments should form no part of the modern game.
"This offence was charged as a breach of RFU Rule 5.12 and, as such, the panel was not bound by the sanctions table. The panel had regard to the entry points for breaches of Law 9.12 (acts of verbal abuse) and of Law 9.27 (acts contrary to good sportsmanship). The panel also had regard to the player’s poor disciplinary record (as an aggravating feature), and to the fact he had accepted the charge and had apologised to the Bristol player (as mitigating factors)."
The panel concluded that a ban of six weeks was proportionate but that it was also appropriate to suspend part of that sanction. The panel found that an immediate ban of two weeks should be imposed and that the remaining four-week ban should be suspended until the end of the 2023/24 season (and may be activated should the player commit a similar offence).
The panel also require the player to give a presentation to a local club or school, and to a Premiership academy, on the core values of the game.
Marler is fortunate to have part of his ban suspended as he has history of getting into trouble for his mouth having been banned for two matches and fined £20,000 for calling Wales prop Samson Lee 'gypsy boy' in a Six Nations clash at Twickenham in 2016.
And in 2020, the prop's disciplinary record worsened as he was hit with a 10-week ban for grabbing the genitals of Wales legend Alun Wyn Jones during a match.
A full ruling, which is expected to include a transcript of what exactly Marler said, has not been published yet but we will bringing you that when it is made available by the RFU.
