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England star Zoe Harrison cops ban for 'act contrary to good sportsmanship'
England and Saracens flyhalf Zoe Harrison has been given a short ban after she pleaded guilty to act of ‘Contrary to Good Sportsmanship’ at an RFU disciplinary hearing.
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Harrison was cited for pulling the hair of an Ealing Trailfinders Women’s player in a Premiership Women’s Rugby match on 25 November. The 25-year-old received a yellow card for the incident in the 36th minute of the match.
The case was heard on papers by an independent disciplinary panel chaired by Daniel Gore. The written transcript of the incident reads: “Trailfinders had a scrum in the centre of the field just outside their own 22m line. They retreated in the scrum legally and Trailfinders No.8 picked up the ball from the base and carried hard forward. As the Trailfinders No.8 is tackled, the ball is offloaded to Trailfinders 12 who makes a line break.
“Saracens 10 [Zoe Harrison] turns and chases to attempt to make the tackle and reaches out her arms. In this reaching to make the tackle, the left hand of Saracens 10 grabs the hair of Trailfinders 12. The head of Trailfinders 12 visibly jerks back due to the grip of Saracens 10 on the hair of Trailfinders 12, and this grab enables her to make the tackle with the right arm of Saracens 10 wrapping around the waist and top of thighs of Trailfinders 12 to finish the tackle. The grip upon the hair of Trailfinders 12 was not released immediately, and it did affect the tackle, contributing to the action of taking the ball carrier to the ground. Therefore, the incident is cited.”
Harrison admitted to the offence, stating in written testimony that: “As they break, I notice I am unable to affect the first tackle, as my centre comes across and completes the tackle. I, therefore, realize there is a gap in our defensive line as they offload, and I have to turn quickly to make a tackle.”
“I realize I am unable to set and complete a tackle as I have been taught, so I attempt to grasp Ealing 12’s jersey from behind, below her shoulder. She is traveling at speed, and I initially miss her jersey and slip-off. In an attempt to re-grasp her jersey, I realize that I inadvertently grab her hair. This was never my intention as I was expecting to grasp her jersey. This all happens in less than two seconds – I only realize once I feel the resistance on her hair, when I then immediately let go and make a legal tackle around the waist, which brings Ealing 12 to the ground. I apologized to Ealing 12 and am thankful that the hair grab does not result in any injury.”
She was banned for one game.
Harrison wasn’t the only player banned for hair-pulling last weekend. Scotland international and Exeter Chiefs’ Demi Swann, was found guilty of pulling hair against Bristol Bears and also banned for a match.
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Comments on RugbyPass
I bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
90 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments