Fine and suspended ban for Castrogiovanni
Martin Castrogiovanni, the RC Toulon player, has been ordered to pay €10,000 (euro) to charity and banned for four matches (ban suspended) as a result of a misconduct complaint lodged against him by EPCR following his club’s European Rugby Champions, Round 3 match against Leicester Tigers at Welford Road on 7 December 2014.
Castrogiovanni appeared before an independent Disciplinary Committee made up of Antony Davies (England, Chairman), Roger Morris (Wales) and Pat Barriscale (Ireland) in London today (Wednesday, 17 December). He was accompanied at the hearing by his legal representative, Julian Pike, the RC Toulon Team Manager, Tom Whitford, and his agent, Matthew Ginvert.
The misconduct complaint against Castrogiovanni was that after the match he made a number of comments to the media in which he attacked, disparaged, criticised, damaged and/or brought into disrepute Leicester Tigers, the club’s Director of Rugby, Richard Cockerill, EPCR, the European Rugby Champions Cup and the sport of rugby union in contravention of the Disciplinary Rules of the European Rugby Champions Cup Participation Agreement 2014/15.
After considering evidence and hearing submissions on behalf of Castrogiovanni, who pleaded guilty, and on behalf of the EPCR Disciplinary Officer, the independent Disciplinary Committee found that Castrogiovanni was guilty of misconduct and that the comments made were utterly indefensible.
The Committee Chairman, Antony Davies, accepted that Castrogiovanni’s comments regarding Leicester Tigers being “amateur” were made in an ironic and questioning manner, and therefore did not constitute criticism. He also acknowledged the player’s genuine remorse.
Castrogiovanni was ordered to pay €10,000 to a charity in the city of Leicester and was banned for four matches with the ban suspended until 30 April 2016. The ban will be activated in the event of any off-field misconduct complaint being successfully brought against him. He was also ordered to pay costs.
