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Hawke's Bay player suspended |
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Written by Magpie Rugby Administrator
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Friday, 04 November 2005 |
Judicial finding – Arizona Taumalolo
The New Zealand Rugby Union Judicial Committee met today to consider the citing of the Hawke’s Bay player Arizona Taumalolo as a result of an incident in the Air New Zealand NPC Division Two final between Hawke’s Bay and Nelson Bays in Napier on Saturday 22 October 2005.
Taumalolo was cited by the Citing Commissioner Mike O’Leary for trampling on a Nelson Bays player in the 72nd minute of the match. The citing complaint alleged that Taumalolo had trampled on the face of a Nelson Bays player who had fallen to the ground as he was contesting possession of the football at a maul which had formed.
As a result of the incident the Nelson Bays player received a laceration to his face which subsequently required stitches. He left the field of play and did not return.
At the hearing, Taumalolo admitted he had trampled on the Nelson Bays player and that the injury described had resulted. He claimed, however, that the contact made with the Nelson Bays player’s face was accidental and in part resulted from him being pushed by another Hawke’s Bay player in the maul.
The Judicial Committee viewed a videotape of the incident. It was clear from the videotape that Taumalolo had trampled on the Nelson Bays player as he admitted and the facial injury resulted from that contact. The Committee was satisfied that Taumalolo had not deliberately brought his boot into contact with the Nelson Bays player’s face but on the other hand felt that Taumalolo had been reckless in the fashion in which he proceeded to drive through the maul knowing the Nelson Bays player was on the ground beneath him. The injury to the Nelson Bays player’s face resulted from that recklessness and it was on that basis the Committee proceeded to assess penalty.
The Committee determined that the offending fell within the middle range of seriousness prescribed in the IRB Schedule of Sanctions. It considered that the location of the injury to the Nelson Bays player and the fact that more serious injury could easily have eventuated was an aggravating factor. On the other hand Taumalolo had no previous appearances before a Judicial Committee and had never previously been sent from the field for foul play. He was in his first year as a Hawke’s Bay representative player and expressed considerable remorse at what had occurred. He indicated that he had wished to contact the Nelson Bays player to apologise to him but had been unable to do so due to the Nelson Bays player being out of the country on representative duties.
In the result, the Committee determined that Taumalolo should be suspended for a period of seven weeks. Given that the rugby season this year has concluded, the suspension was imposed to commence from what the Committee was told was the beginning of the Hawke’s Bay club rugby season on 1 April 2006 and to extend up to and include 20 May 2006.
The Committee comprised Brian Coomber, Graham Williams and Bruce Squire QC as its Chairman.
Bruce Squire QC
Chairman
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 28 July 2007 )
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