“Big Ben” Tameifuna
It’s time out for Big Ben Tameifuna after New Zealand Rugby’s judiciary banned him five weeks for his shove on referee Glen Jackson last weekend.
Tameifuna shoved referee Glen Jackson in the 72nd minute of Waikato’s national provincial championship victory at North Harbour on Saturday.
Citing commissioner John Wootton reporter the incident after the match.
Stuff NZ
The three hour hearing was held in Auckland today, with judicial officer Chris Morris hearing evidence from Tameifuna, Chiefs coach Dave Rennie, Waikato coaching and team management, match officials, including Glen Jackson, and viewing video footage of the incident.
The Waikato prop was focused on his defensive duties when he shoved Jackson, and after the match said there were no hard feelings between himself and the referee.
Ironically, Tameifuna was shown a yellow card moments after the incident for playing the ball on the ground, unrelated to the push.
Judicial officer Morris accepted that Tameifuna was focused on his defensive duties, and there was no malicious intent.
“Having taking into account the evidence, the player’s post-match apology to the referee, his full acknowledgement that his actions were inappropriate, I have endeavoured to impose a proportionate sanction taking into account other similar situations from overseas decisions,” he said.
“However it is imperative that players instinctively know that it is never, under any circumstances, appropriate for a player to abuse, verbally or physically, a match official.
“Taking all those factors into account, I find that a suspension of five weeks is appropriate and proportionate to the offending. Ben Tameifuna is banned immediately from all rugby up to and including 5 October.”
Waikato coach Jonny Walters said his side planned for the worst ahead of their clash with Tasman tomorrow, and Tameifuna trained with the reserves yesterday morning in anticipation of the suspension.
Josh Hohneck will start at prop in Tameifuna’s absence.
Somehow I find this sanction business slightly skewed.
He gets 5 weeks for pushing a ref out of the way, while Orie gets 1 week for an incident involving a player who broke his neck.
This is not aimed at Orie himself, and I also don’t believe he went out to break JD’s neck, but it’s aimed at the ludicrousness of the situation, and the suspension process.
It seems completely lopsided to me.
1 @ nortierd:
But Ben laid a hand on an “untouchable”. One of the perfect Rugby species who can do no wrong, are above critisism and reproach.
What if that ref’ were to muddy his shirt?
Is it not far worse to cause a small degree of embarrasment to a paid up member of a dark and secret society that practices self evaluation, than it is to cause the potential life threatening injury to a young upcoming asset that plays the game who may or may not go on to greater things?
(Tongue in cheek mate)
Just more proof that Rugby bodies (IRB; SANZAR; RFU etc etc etc) don’t actually give a tinketrs’ cuss for the most valuable assets they have, the players.
Varking tossers. (Well they would be if they could get a collective hard on!)
@ Scrumdown:
Ha ha
True Scrummie.
I wonder if Orie’s hand were to accidentally move towards JD’s eye whether he would have copped an additional few months?
@ nortierd:
“police justice”
These sanctions have been a “joke” for years including Rhodes’ “only” one week ban for kicking Ross in the face.
Its like the judicial comitee makes these decicions with a lucky No8 ball.
4 @ MacroBok:
He he
“Magic 8 ball, will I be suspended?”
“It’s highly unlikely”
@ nortierd:
Or take out a bunch of flowers…
ok, got three flowers
“one week, two weeks, one week, three weeks, one week, four weeks, one week, six weeks… one week, two weeks, one week, three weeks, one week… one week, two weeks, one week, three weeks, one week, four weeks”
“Ok four weeks for you young man”
Then in case they fall on one week they also include that the player has a near flawless disciplinary record. There you go…next?
Scrumdown wrote:
Hahaha! It reminds me of Paddy “O’Brien’s most embarrassing moment as a referee…words to the effect of: “It was pouring with rain when I reffed my first (big) game and in order to try and make an impression I went sprinting out of the tunnel only to trip over a sand bucket on the side of the field…”
His white shirt turned brown instantly and he had to change it!
7 @ BrumbiesBoy:
If the ref’ is in the way of play, then fukkim, he deserves to get pushed.
A ref of Jackson’s experience should be quicker to GTF out of the way IMO.
As for Paddy O’Brien, well a saying about a silk purse and a sow’s ear comes to mind.
@ Scrumdown:
How often do referees get in the way on the tryline, and still let the try stand?… that is surely an issue to address, not ban players for five weeks and just let it go.
Another Faf hundred, this is some purple patch!
MacroBok wrote:
Purple patch….isn’t that Barney’s pubes?
@ nortierd:
Barneys GF maybe 😉
MacroBok wrote:
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