Italy coach banned over match official abuse following TV rant
SPOTLIGHT: Italy head coach Gonzalo Quesada was slapped with a two-match ban by World Rugby on Thursday for criticising the referee and Nations Championship scheduling after their heavy loss to New Zealand.
He let rip in a television interview after the 47-17 defeat in Wellington last week, blasting French referee Luc Ramos as “super poor”.
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Quesada, the Argentinian coach who was due to be at the helm for Italy’s clash against Australia in Perth on Saturday, also hit out at the schedule imposed on his squad by World Rugby.
The Italians started their Nations Championship campaign in Tokyo with a 10-27 loss to Japan, then flew down to Wellington before the trip to Perth via Auckland this week.
“In line with the provisions of the Match Official Abuse Sanction Process, World Rugby can confirm that an automatic two-match suspension has been issued to Gonzalo Quesada,” the governing body said in a statement.
It excludes him from all match-day activity, including being present at the stadium, “as a result of comments made in broadcast, and subsequently reported, following the Nations Championship match against New Zealand on July 11”.
“Under the process, Quesada has the right to appeal the sanction to a full judicial committee hearing,” World Rugby added.
Quesada fell victim to a new rule introduced this month by World Rugby, known as the Match Official Abuse Sanction Process, applying across elite competitions.
It is aimed at cutting down on comments that have led to a spike in abuse and threats towards match officials.
The Italian Rugby Federation said it noted the ruling and would appeal.
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