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Peyper pays the piper for 'inappropriate' photo
By Online Editors
South African referee Jaco Peyper has apologised but paid a price after a photograph emerged of him posing with Wales fans mimicking a key red-card incident from Sunday's World Cup quarter-final against France.
World Rugby says Peyper was not considered when selecting the match officials for this weekend's semi-finals.
"Peyper recognises that a picture of him with Wales fans, which appeared on social media after Sunday's Wales versus France quarter-final, was inappropriate and he has apologised," said the governing body in a statement on Tuesday.
Wales beat France 20-19 after Peyper sent off France lock Sebastien Vahaamahina for elbowing Aaron Wainwright in the face when France were leading 19-10 early in the second half.
A picture being circulated on social media shows a smiling Peyper in the middle of a group of celebrating Welsh fans, raising his elbow to seemingly mimic the violent incident that led to Vahaamahina's sending off.
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French Rugby Federation vice president Dr Serge Simon said on Twitter: "This photo, if it is true, is shocking and explanations will be necessary."
The coaches from both teams involved agreed it had been the correct decision to send off Vahaamahina, who had earlier scored France's first try in the match.
Vahaamahina faces a World Rugby disciplinary hearing on Thursday but its consequences will be minimal after he announced his retirement from international rugby later on Monday.
He revealed in a statement that along with ending his France career, coincidentally on his 28th birthday, he will have a long-planned operation on his arm.
He added: "It is the end of a cycle, a new page turns in my career. I am 28 and I can't wait to rebuild, physically and mentally, and come back even stronger."
- AAP
Michael Cheika's time as head coach of the Wallabies has come to an unceremonious end:
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Latest Comments
I don’t think Wales should get a C. They’ve shown against Ireland, and Scotland, that they’re capable of playing better, than they’ve shown, so the absolute carnage against England must garner a much worse grading. D at best.
Scotland with an F is too harsh. Yes, they deserve a mark down for their implosion against Ireland, another for their near choke against Wales, and two marks down for snatching a defeat from the jaws of victory vs. England, but no worse than that. A D is an appropriate mark, imho. Yes, Scotland now have the best crop of backs they’ve ever had, but they simply don’t have the forwards to be realistically gunning at the 6N.
A D- would seem appropriate.
Other than that, the grading seems accurate.
Go to commentsIf France show total disrespect for NZR and NZ fans then Id be looking at ways to show our dissaproval.😁😁😁🤣🤣😃😁Politely of course Hehe!
1/ Hold the teams officials for 8 hrs at the airport and after full cavity searches, put players into isolation for 2 weeks like COVID days. Cant have those diseased French polluting NZ.
2/ Once out of quarantine, Billit the French out to a school hall… 40 players to a room.
3/Have the hall at a school with a “no alcohol” policy. Even with meals.
4/Have them in an area where there is no outside communication ( no phone reception )
5/Give them “Tuck shop food”
5/Have concrete training fields
7/Have no goalposts at the concrete training fields
8/ Give no rooms for team meetings, except their toilet and change rooms…Under repair from “spillage”
9/ Fly them ALL to matches….. In a tiny plane without legroom. Make the trip a 3 hr scenic tourist flight. NZ is a beautiful country.
10/ NEVER refer to them as the French test side. Call them the French no two’s.
11/ Allow alcohol the night before tests.
12/ Call the Tests “practice matches for the SA tour”
Come on NZ fans…. Return the disrespect if thats what we are shown.😁😁😁
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