Fergus McFadden has been suspended for three weeks following an independent PRO12 disciplinary hearing in Edinburgh.
McFadden appeared today (Wednesday) in Edinburgh before an independent PRO12 Rugby Disciplinary Committee, having been cited by an independent citing commissioner for stamping or trampling on an opponent in contravention of Law 10.4 (b) in the Guinness PRO12 match between Leinster and Connacht at the RDS Arena.
McFadden accepted that he had committed an act of foul play and that it would have warranted a red card. Accordingly, the Disciplinary Committee, chaired by Pamela Woodman, alongside Roddy Dunlop and John Kirk (all from Scotland), considered what would be the appropriate sanction.
Having viewed video footage of the incident, listened to evidence and representations from and on behalf of the player, and reviewed all of the other evidence, the Disciplinary Committee found that McFadden had acted recklessly and that the offending merited a mid-range entry point based on World Rugby’s scale of seriousness, which carries a five-week playing suspension.
The Disciplinary Committee further found that there were no aggravating factors and that there were a number of mitigating factors (including Mr McFadden’s acknowledgement of wrongdoing, his previous clean disciplinary record and his good conduct at the hearing) such that his playing suspension be reduced by two weeks.
McFadden is therefore suspended from playing rugby for a total of three weeks, up to and including Sunday, 24th January 2016.
