France backrow Axelle Berthoumieu has had her ban for biting Ireland’s Aoife Wafer during Sunday’s Women’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final reduced to nine matches, down from 12.
The independent foul play review committee considered full mitigation of 50 per cent in light of the player’s admission, her clean disciplinary record, her remorse and public apology.
“Full mitigation was not given due to the seriousness of the player’s actions as it appeared from the video footage that the player appeared to nudge Ireland number seven’s forearm twice before she bit her, suggesting an intention to bite the Ireland player, and two opportunities to stop and not continue with a bite, not taken by the player,” the statement said.
“However, the committee decided that, pursuant to World Rugby Regulation 17, those factors are relevant to the assessment of the seriousness of the conduct (ie the entry point) but not to an assessment of the extent of mitigation. Therefore, the Disciplinary Committee discounted nine weeks, not six weeks, from the starting point of 18 weeks and imposed a final sanction of nine weeks.”
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Berthoumieu will miss the remainder of the World Cup as well as seven matches in her domestic championship.
Early in the second half of Sunday’s fixture at Sandy Park, Wafer emerged from a ruck after winning a jackal penalty pointing towards her arm. She could be heard on the ref mic, and seen mouthing on the broadcast, that she had been bitten.
As Ireland prepared for play to restart, multiple players could be seen pointing to the big screen, asking the officials to review after seeing a replay of the incident.
Ireland captain Sam Monaghan confirmed post-match that she asked referee Aimee Barrett-Theron to review the bite after Wafer made the allegation. Barrett-Theron could be heard on her mic discussing an action on “seven green” with TMO Ian Tempest.
No formal review took place, the referee explaining that Tempest would sweep for any footage in the background as play continued.
In announcing the ban for Berthoumieu, World Rugby said that while reviewing Wafer’s allegation in real time, Tempest was “unable to determine clear and obvious foul play and did not have the benefit of additional evidential submissions to corroborate.”
