Shannon coach suspended for 16 months after incident in Bruff match
THE Shannon rugby coach at the centre of an alleged incident of assault on a 14-year-old boy in Bruff on January 24 has been suspended by the Munster branch of the IRFU for 16 months for bringing the game into disrepute, it has emerged.
The ban applies to all IRFU-sanctioned activity and not just underage coaching.
And Shannon RFC is not yet out of the woods, with the IRFU in Dublin warning its disciplinary committee will be examining the investigation report from Munster to see whether that would have any implications for the club's AIL hopes.
Shannon has a suspended six-point deduction hanging over it after following the alleged verbal abuse of international referee George Clancy after a game with Cork Constitution on December 5, an incident arising from which the city club also received a record €25,000 fine.
Witnesses at Kilballyowen for the North Munster League U-15 clash between Bruff and Shannon in January reported that a Shannon coach had run on to the field and attacked two 14-year-olds, one of whom was alleged to have received a headbutt.
But Shannon said in the aftermath of the incident that the coach had only come on to the field after his son had been kicked on the ground, adding the person concerned denied assaulting anyone.
Declan Madden, president of the Munster branch, told the Limerick Chronicle that the investigation was now complete and the Shannon coach had been banned for 16 months.
"The committee was satisfied there was a case to answer in this instance.
"This was serious in every respect, particularly when it concerned child welfare. The gardai were involved at an early stage but are no longer and the HSE were also informed.
"This was something that broke new ground for us, the nature of it was something which we have not been involved in before," Mr Madden said.
This, he added, was the end of the matter for the Munster branch unless the coach chose to appeal the verdict, which he can do by this Tuesday evening.
But Karl Richardson, IRFU media and communications manager, said the matter might not be over as far as the organisation nationally was concerned.
"There is always that possibility. The IRFU has been following it very closely as we do any of the rulings that would come from reviews such as the one undertaken by the Munster branch," Mr Richardson said.
"No meetings of the (disciplinary) committee are scheduled at the moment but once the ruling from the Munster branch has been forwarded, the committee would have to examine it."
It is understood that both clubs were notified of the decision late last week and it was due to be discussed at a meeting of Bruff's executive committee on Monday night.
Bruff PRO Richard Leonard said the club would issue a statement in due course but Shannon declined to comment on the affair.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Weather for Limerick
Wednesday 23 May 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 12 C to 19 C
Wind Speed: 21 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 13 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: South east
