British Rugby Star Penalized for Grabbing Player's Junk
A British rugby player has been banned for two and a half months following an inquiry by a commission that looked into his having grabbed another player's crotch while on the field of play, reports the BBC.
The breach of the game's rules of conduct took place during a game last weekend in which England prevailed over Wales. Player of England Joe Marler was handed a 10-week suspension for grabbing Alun Wyn Jones' private parts, reported UK newspaper The Guardian.
The commission found Marler in violation of a rule prohibiting the "grabbing, twisting or squeezing" of another player's genitalia. But not everyone feels that Marler's grab was entirely out of keeping with the sport's rough and tumble ethos. Danny Care, who plays with Marler on the English national team as well as the Harlequins rugby club, told the BBC that Marler was just having a bit of laddish fun.
"You know he hasn't gone out there to annoy anyone or anger anyone or disrespect anyone. He's done it in Joe's way of being Joe," Care opined on the Rugby Union Weekly podcast.
Added Care: "Alun Wyn Jones is a team-mate of his from the Lions - I'm pretty sure they're mates."
Noting that at the time of the incident in question a "scuffle" was taking place on the field, Care theorized that Marl "tried to make light of it," and his grabbing of Jones' junk was in that spirit.
"When I saw it, I just thought it was two lads messing around who were good mates," Care said, "but I can completely understand the massively split reaction... You put that in any other place of work, and there's going to be some serious repercussions from it."
Still, some saw the repercussions as too extreme for the offense, given that other rugby players have been handed much shorter suspensions for significantly rougher play such as punches to the face or crashing into the heads of opponents with their shoulders, the Guardian noted.