THURSDAY, 1.00PM:
THE South African Rugby Football Union (Sarfu) disciplinary committee has suspended Natal scrumhalf Kevin Putt for verbally abusing referee Andy Turner in a Currie Cup match against Mpumalanga Pumas on September 13.
Sarfu CEO Rian Oberholzer said after the hearing in Cape Town on Wednesday that it is Sarfu’s obligation to protect match officials. “Players, officials and coaches must know that it is not open season on referees. They cannot abuse match officials during or after a game.”
Meanwhile, The Natal Rugby Union on Wednesday night said they intend to challenge all the way the commitee’s verdict to suspend Putt for three monnths. The ban will keep Putt out of the rest of the Currie Cup and prevent him from being considered for the Springbok tour of Europe and the United Kingdom in November.
“This is a heavier punishment that is often dished out to those found guilty of punching or trampling. To say we are upset is putting it midly,” said NRU president Keith Parkinson. “On top of this, for most of us it is an inappropriate sentence.”
This is a blow for Natal as captain David Knox on Monday announced that he will miss the rest of Natal’s remaining matches as he is returning to Australia to train with the Wallabies.