EPCR finalise punishment over Boudjellal's controversial Morman comments after appeal

Toulon have had a victory of sorts in their appeal over a punishment for president Mourad Boudjellal’s controversial Morman comments.

Boudjellal was given a €75,000 fine by the EPRC in July, with another €25,000 suspended for three years and his were club threatened with a five-point deduction for three years and ordered to pay costs over their president’s bizarre comments made in the wake of Mathieu Bastareaud’s punishment for allegedly using homophobic language.

Boudjellal did not appealing the fine, but the club pursued matters over the points threat and having to pay the Independent Disciplinary Committee hearing costs.

But following an appeal hearing in London on Tuesday that points sanction has been reduced, with all other sanctions against the club upheld.

A statement from the EPCR said “RC Toulon argued that the original decision of the Disciplinary Committee had been made in error and should be overturned. The club also argued that the suspended points deduction was disproportionate, and that the order of costs was excessive.

“The Appeal Committee determined that the appeal should be denied in every respect save that it decided to vary the terms of the original decision in one limited aspect relating to the suspension of the points deduction, by reducing the period of suspension from three seasons to one season.

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“The points deduction will therefore be suspended only for the 2018/19 season and the club will still be required to pay its contribution to the costs of the initial hearing.

France international Bastareaud was given a three-week ban after he was alleged to have directed a homophobic slur towards Benetton Treviso lock Sebastian Negri.

Between Bastareaud’s charge and punishment, Boudjellal gave an interview in which he expressed concern about the “Mormon side of the EPCR [European Professional Club Rugby] with the Welsh and Irish”.

Boudjellal suggested that Bastareaud would be punished by people lacking in moral standards, prompting an investigation by the EPCR.

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