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Italy's Tounesi suspended 12 games for biting Japanese player
By Sam Smith
Italy second-row Sara Tounesi has been suspended for 12 matches, having appeared before an independent judicial committee on Monday after being cited for biting (Law 9.12) in Italy’s Rugby World Cup 2021 Pool B match with Japan on 23 October, 2022.
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Tounesi appeared before an independent judicial committee on Monday having been cited for biting (Law 9.12) in Italy’s Rugby World Cup 2021 Pool B match against Japan on 23 October, 2022. The citing was denied.
The independent Disciplinary Committee was chaired by the independent Judicial Panel Chair, Christopher Quinlan KC who was joined by judicial officer Brenda Heather-Latu (Samoa) and former international player Ofisa Tonu’u (New Zealand).
The Committee considered all the evidence including from the victim player, the player (Ms Tounesi) and the video footage of the incident. The Committee concluded that the player bit a Japanese player which offence merited a red card and accordingly upheld the citing complaint. The Committee decided that the appropriate entry point was mid-range (18 matches) but having regard to her mitigation, reduced the sanction to 12 matches.
The player is therefore suspended for Italy’s quarter-final match against France on 29 October with the remaining matches to be determined once the playing schedules of Italy and the player are known.
Press Release/World Rugby
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Its a great way to clobber the credibility of a competition....
Go to commentsGreat article. Very well expressed and I loved the part about the ravens leaving the tower. I suppose what's really changed is the advent of professionalism whereby the Six Nations teams are as fit, or fitter, than the Southern Hemisphere sides, which hasn't happened regularly until recently. Southern Hemisphere coaches like Cotter, Jones, Schmidt, Gatland and even Hansen with Wales have added immeasurably to our knowledge pool also. If one were to pick the best team in the world right now, you'd surely think Etzebeth, Koiebiete and Malherbe. But you might just think Dupont, Capuozzo, van der Flier and Beirne before them. That would never have happened when the GOATS McCaw and Carter were around. Happy days and sets the scene for a great tournament where sharp-beaked hawks look set to battle it out with the ravens for supremacy of the tower!
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