1
Watch: Pau coach facing long ban after physically accosting referee
By Ian Cameron
Pau head coach Sébastien Piqueronies is facing a citing complaint for physically abusing referee Sam Grove-White during a recent match. The incident, which occurred during the second half of their match against the Cheetahs in the Challenge Cup, was caught on video by a spectator and quickly went viral on social media.
In the video, Piqueronies can be seen yelling and gesturing angrily at Grove-White before grabbing him and shoving him. Players from both teams rushed to intervene, but Piqueronies continued to shout and gesture at the referee before being escorted off the field.
Grove-White, who was shaken but not seriously injured in the incident, immediately reported the physical abuse to the match officials. A citing complaint was subsequently filed against Piqueronies, who now faces a possible ban from coaching.
The incident has sparked outrage among fans and players alike, with many calling for Piqueronies to be punished severely for his actions. The head coach, who has a history of volatile behaviour on the sidelines, has apologised for his actions but many believe that an apology is not enough.
In a statement, the Pau club expressed their disappointment and regret over the incident, and pledged to cooperate fully with the investigation into Piqueronies' conduct. They also announced that they would be taking disciplinary action against the coach, though they did not specify what that action would be.
The citing complaint against Piqueronies will now be reviewed by a disciplinary committee, who will decide on an appropriate punishment. Depending on the severity of the offence, Piqueronies could face a ban from coaching, a fine, or even criminal charges.
Regardless of the outcome, the incident has once again brought the issue of player and coach behaviour in professional sports to the forefront, and many are calling for stricter regulations and sanctions to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
The incident has been shared by Jared Wright on Twitter:
Trending on RugbyPass
2
Jake White: Ireland, Australia and Wales have the same problem
3
David Campese names his Springbok world player of the year winner
4
Let's be real about these All Blacks
5
Latest Comments
What a load of baloney JW. At least try, man. Still sore that the ABs could not score as many tries v England as Aussie and SA maybe?
Look through the games v Ireland, France and the two NZ tour losses, and there is not one try scored in the same way as I'm describing here! Not one.
The system being run by El Abd is not the one that implemented by Jones. They are like chalk and cheese.
It's not the same at all but I recognize you cannot see it - and that's okay.
Go to commentsWell he said he's rarely used there, hence the joke about how many games we have to watch before we actually see him getting used there :p
Go to comments