FILE PHOTO: Rugby Union - Rugby World Cup 2023 - Third Place Play-Off - Argentina v England - Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France - October 27, 2023 Argentina head coach Michael Cheika during the warm up before the match REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo
LONDON (Reuters) -Leicester Tigers head coach Michael Cheika has been banned for two weeks - one suspended - after being found guilty of disrespecting a doctor in a row over a player's head injury in his team's Premiership match against Exeter last month.
The former Australia and Argentina coach was taking charge of Leicester for the first time on Sept. 21 and an independent disciplinary panel sitting on Tuesday found that he "disrespected the Independent Match Day Doctor in challenging the decision he had made that a player was subject to an IPR (Immediate Permanent Removal)."
A statement from the RFU said: "Although it was an unusual case because there was a lack of clarity about the decisions made about the head injuries, the decisions of the Independent Match Day Doctor must be respected.
"In this particular case, the appropriate sanction was one of two weeks. The panel mitigated this by suspending one week until the end of the season."
Cheika was ruled to have shown "conduct prejudicial to the interests of the game" after Leicester's Ollie Chessum and Solomone Kata clashed heads while trying to tackle Exeter's Immanuel Feyi-Waboso in the match Leicester won 17-14.
Chessum was removed for a head injury assessment and then stood down for 12 days, missing last weekend's defeat by Bath. Kata, however, was not removed for an HIA and soon after was sent off for a dangerous tackle, which earned him a four-match ban.
Leicester issued a statement saying they welcomed the panel's findings that Cheika was not intimidating or aggressive but said they were not satisfied with the "disrespectful" finding given that "multiple witnesses gave evidence at the disciplinary hearing supporting Michael's version of events.
"The club is also disappointed that despite its request not to do so, the RFU issued a statement announcing the panel’s decision despite the club having not yet been provided with the written judgment and knowing the exact reasons for the decision," Leicester said in a statement.
"Leicester Tigers would like to place on record that it would never question the World Rugby HIA process, when correctly implemented, and is rigorously committed to the safety, wellbeing and health of our players.
"We will be seeking clarification on the above and reserve the right to lodge an appeal of the decision."
(Reporting by Mitch Phillips, editing by Christian Radnedge and Toby Davis)
