Pau coach banned for 10 weeks after threatening referee in Cheetahs defeat

Pau head coach Sebastien Piqueronies was banned for 10 weeks on Thursday after European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) found him guilty of misconduct for an angry confrontation with the referee after a narrow loss to the Cheetahs.

It could have been worse for Piqueronies.

After Pau lost 21-16 at home to the South Africans in their opening Challenge Cup clash last Saturday the match commissioner Csaba Priskin cited the coach for physically assaulting Scottish referee Sam Grove-White.

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That offence carries a maximum ban of 96 weeks.

Piqueronies said he was just shaking the referee's hand but was shouting while doing it and had to be led away by players.

After viewing video footage the independent disciplinary committee said in an EPCR statement it "disagreed that Piqueronies was only trying to shake the referee's hand."

But, the statement added, "rather than actual physical violence, it found him guilty of the lesser offence of using threatening words and actions towards the referee" and found him guilty of the lesser charge of misconduct which carries a maximum 20-week ban.

That was halved to 10 weeks because Piqueronies has a good disciplinary record and pleaded guilty.

Piqueronies is banned from contact with his team and staff at the ground on match days either in person or by using communication systems with his staff.

Pau announced that Piqueronies would not appeal.

"I am well aware that I have been involved in a situation that can damage the image of rugby, even if I consider that it is above all the result of a misunderstanding," Piqueronies said on the club website.