RFU SHORT JUDGMENT FORM RFU REGULATION 19 Match Richmond Ladies RFC Aylesford Bulls RFC Club level 1 Competition RFUW Date of match 08/01/2017 Match venue Richmond PAGE 1 PARTICULARS OF OFFENCE Player s surname CORNBOROUGH Date of birth 03/03/1990 Forename(s) Vikki RFU ID number 0460253 Club name Aylesford Bulls Plea Admitted Not admitted Offence 10.4(b) - Stamping/trampling SELECT: Red card Citing Other Hearing date 10/01/2017 Hearing venue Holiday Inn, Bloomsbury Chairman Jeremy Summers Secretary Rebecca Morgan Panel member 1 Dr Julian Morris Panel member 2 Tom Rees Decision Proven Not proven Other disposal (please state) Click to enter other disposal. HEARING DETAILS ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF CITING/REFEREE S REPORT/DVD FOOTAGE The incident was observed by the Assistant Referee who submitted a report as follows: On the restart to the game - Aylesford Bulls (AB) gathered ball and knocked on, the play was approx. 5 meters outside the AB 22 meter line and within the 5 meters of me as the AR. AB attempted to counter ruck the ball and one of the AB players fly hacked the bull towards the R backs, As the counter ruck continued AB 3 drove the through the ruck and her boot contacted the R playing lying on floor and struck her in the head. I communicated with the ref that I had foul play against AB WHITE 3 He asked what do I have and I responded I have foul play v AB white 3 - boot to the head. The ref called time off and come over to me. He asked me to relay back to him what I seen and I did so clearly stating that AB 3 had contacted her boot on a R players head in the process of counter rucking The referee then called the AB captain and number 3 and sent her from the field. The Player denied the charge. Her position was that she had stepped over the Richmond player whist rucking. If there had been contact with the head of the Richmond player, this had occurred accidentally due the fact that she had been rotated out of the ruck by another Richmond player causing her to have come off her feet. The match footage was viewed. This was broadly corroborative of the AR's report but unclear and contact could not be definitively seen. The victim player gave evidence by telephone and confirmed that a boot had made contact with her face/head causing some immediate pain and superficial injury. She had not required treatment and had completed the game. She had not however been able to identify whose boot had made contact with her. The AR also gave evidence by phone. He confirmed that whilst he had seen contact between the player's boot and the Richmond player's head, he had initially been unsure whether this had been a kick or a trample. Having reviewed the footage subsequently, he had determined that it was a trample. The Player had previously attempted to kick the ball through the ruck but had not, at that point, made contact with the head. The Player's case that contact had been accidental in consequence of the Player being forced out of the ruck by another Richmond player was put to the AR. He was clear that the contact he had seen had not occurred in that way and had been a stamp/trample.
PAGE 2 ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF CITING/REFEREE S REPORT/DVD FOOTAGE CONTINUED The Player gave evidence and was clear in her rejection of the charge. She had been conscious of what she was trying to achieve in the ruck and has stepped over, but not onto, the Richmond player. She stated that she was a clean player with an unblemished record who would not do anything to knowingly harm an opponent. The Panel gave very careful and detailed consideration to the evidence. Having regard to the evidence of the AR, the Richmond player and the footage it was not able to accept the Player's case and was satisfied, to the standard required, that foul play, as alleged, had occurred.
PAGE 3 ASSESSMENT OF SERIOUSNESS REGULATION 19.11.8 PLEASE TICK APPROPRIATE BOX Intentional/deliberate 19.11.8(a) Reckless 19.11.8(b) Gravity of player s actions 19.11.8(c) Although contact was with the head, the specific offending could not be viewed as grave. Nature of actions 19.11.8(d) A single contact from the Player's boot on to the face./head of an opponent. Existence of provocation 19.11.8(e) Whether player retaliated 19.11.8(f) Self-defence 19.11.8(g) No issue of self-defence. Effect on victim 19.11.8(h) Minor/superficial skin injury. Effect on match 19.11.8(i) Vulnerability of victim 19.11.8(j) Victim player prone at bottom of ruck. Level of participation/premeditation 19.11.8(k) No pre-meditation. Conduct completed/attempted 19.11.8(l) Completed. Other features of player s conduct 19.11.8(m)
PAGE 4 ASSESSMENT OF SERIOUSNESS REGULATION 19.11.8 CONTINUED Entry point Top end* 12 weeks Mid-range Click weeks Low end Click weeks *If top end, the Panel should identify an entry point between the top end and the maximum sanction (19.11.9) - see Appendix 2 In making the above assessment, the Panel should consider the RFU guidance (Note 2) set out in Appendix 5 to Regulation 19. Significant weight should be given to RFU regulation 19.11.8(a), 19.11.8(h) and 19.11.8(i). Reasons for entry point: The Panel was required to apply the new entry point directive which took effect on 3 January 2017, and did so. This entry point would not have been arrived at but for the new directive. ADDITIONAL RELEVANT OFF-FIELD AGGRAVATING FACTORS (REGULATION 19.11.10) Player s status as an offender of the Laws of the game 19.11.10(a) Need for deterrent 19.11.10(b) Any other off-field aggravating factors 19.11.10(c) Number of additional weeks: 0 weeks
PAGE 5 RELEVANT OFF-FIELD MITIGATING FACTORS (REGULATION 19.11.11) Acknowledgement of guilt 19.11.11(a) Not present. Player s disciplinary record/good character 19.11.11(b) Clear. Youth & inexperience of player 19.11.11(c) Conduct prior to and at hearing 19.11.11(d) Exemplary. Remorse & timing of remorse 19.11.11(e) Not present. Other off-field mitigation 19.11.11(f) Number of weeks deducted: 5 weeks NOTE: SUBJECT TO REGULATION 19.11.13, A DISCIPLINARY PANEL CANNOT APPLY A GREATER REDUCTION THAN 50% OF THE RELEVANT ENTRY POINT SUSPENSION SANCTION Banned from 10/01/2017 Banned to 27/02/2017 Ban split from Click here to enter a date. Ban split to Click here to enter a date. Free to play 28/02/2017 Total sanction 7 weeks Sending off sufficient NOTE: UNDER RFU REGULATION 19.5.2, PLAYERS ORDERED OFF ARE PROVISSIONALLY SUSPENDED PENDING THE HEARING OF THEIR CASE, SUCH SUSPENSION SHOULD BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN SANCTIONING Costs Click Final date for appeal: 31/01/2017 Signature (Chairman) Signature (Secretary) Jeremy Summers Date 16/01/2017 Rebecca Morgan Date entered to GMS 16/01/2017