Pau head coach Sébastien Piqueronies has obtained a ten-week ban after grabbing Scottish referee Sam Grove-White following his aspect’s 21-16 Problem Cup defeat to Cheetahs.

Footage of Piqueronies showing to seize the arm of Grove-White appeared on-line following Saturday’s opening Problem Cup conflict. Pau believed they need to have been awarded a turnover penalty within the closing play, with back-row Reece Hewat concerned on the breakdown.

The video depicts Piqueronies holding onto the referee with each arms earlier than Grove-White pulls himself away after the Cheetahs had kicked the ball out of play to seal victory of their inaugural sport within the European competitors.

Piqueronies, who was beforehand in control of France U20, was initially cited for bodily abuse however was as a substitute discovered responsible by an unbiased disciplinary committee of utilizing threatening phrases and actions in the direction of a referee.

Right here the incident @jaredwright17 pic.twitter.com/AOWEgtZxNg

— DJ Rossouw (@DjRossouw87) December 13, 2022

The Pau coach may have been sidelined for as many as 96 weeks if the primary cost had been upheld however as a substitute had a 20-week ban halved as a result of his responsible plea and clear disciplinary file.

European Skilled Membership Rugby (EPCR), the governing physique behind the Problem Cup and Champions Cup, confirmed Piqueronies “accepted that he had made inappropriate bodily contact” with Grove-White.

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EPCR stated: “After consideration, the committee determined to take the case ahead as a misconduct criticism and because of this, it was not required to observe World Rugby’s desk of beneficial sanctions.

“The committee didn’t settle for that Piqueronies was merely attempting to shake the referee’s hand and located him responsible of the much less critical offence of utilizing threatening phrases and actions in the direction of the referee reasonably than precise bodily abuse.

“It was determined that the suitable sanction entry level was 20 weeks and as a result of Piqueronies’ clear disciplinary file and his responsible plea, the committee granted the complete 50 per cent mitigation earlier than imposing a suspension of 10 weeks.”

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Piqueronies is now forbidden from having any match-day contact with the squad however together with EPCR does have the fitting to attraction.

Jeremy Summers, chair of the three-person committee that handed down the punishment to the boss of the High 14’s Twelfth-place aspect, added: “Match official abuse has no place in rugby and this determination reinforces the message that offenders, at no matter stage, can be topic to vital sanction.”

The precise length of the ban can be decided at a later date when Pau’s fixture record turns into clearer.

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