Hawks coach banned for grabbing opposing player

A COACH at Henley Rugby Club has apologised after receiving a touchline ban for grabbing an opposition player during a match.

Duncan Bennett admitted leaving the “technical zone” in the 78th minute after which he grabbed a Bury St Edmunds player round the chest.

This resulted in a clash between him and another Bury player where they pushed each other. Bennett was then “dragged” away by another member of the Hawks playing squad and was shown a red card by the match referee.

The National League 2 East match on December 21 continued and was played to its conclusion. Henley lost the match at Bury 41-17.

The match referee reported the incident to the Rugby Football Union, the governing body, with Bennett charged with conduct that was prejudicial to the interests of the game, under rule 5.12.

In a written report to a disciplinary hearing, which was held remotely, the referee said: “I spoke through the incident with the assistant referee and we both agreed that in the ensuing melee we had no foul play from either squad’s players.

“I had explained that I had seen a member of the Henley coaching staff leave the technical area and get involved, something that he had no right to do and saw him pushing Bury players.

“I explained that I was going to show Mr Bennett a red card and remove him from the playing enclosure. This was the action taken.”

The referee added that he received no apology following this action and that Mr Bennett “did not engage” with him at all.

In a written response provided to the panel, Bennett said he “deeply regrets” the actions he took but said he acted because he felt a Henley player was in “immediate danger”.

Bennett wrote: “I am initially shocked by the recklessness and force of the challenge on our winger. I am walking up the field, appealing the decision, which I fully admit I should not have done. I should not have left the technical area. I regret and apologise for that.

“I have then seen a melee kick off and I have seen immediate danger to our [number] 19 who was pulled into a headlock by the Bury 19 and I see him being pulled by the head to the boards, unable to protect himself.

“I act only to try and remove the Bury player from our player and my only concern is with the welfare of our player. I removed the player with my hands around his chest, which was not an aggressive action. I then realise it has descended into a further melee and removed myself from the situation.”

But the panel, which had also reviewed video footage of the incident, said it had “no hesitation” in finding Bennett had broken the rule of the game, acknowledging he had partially admitted doing so.

It said that he had walked about 10m to become involved in an incident. It rejected his assertion that he had been trying to protect his player as he had been released from the headlock and appeared to be fully upright while Bennett was still 2m away.

The panel further rejected any suggestion that the coach's conduct could have been justified by any need to protect player welfare. However, it found his contact with the Bury player to be “fleeting and inconsequential”.

Bennett, who has been a strength and conditioning coach for 10 years, was handed a two-match touchline ban and ordered to write a letter of apology and pay £200 costs.

He will miss the two home games against Westcombe Park tomorrow (Saturday) and Oxford Harlequins next Saturday.

Bennett has published a statement on the Henley Hawks website which said: “I would like to offer my sincere apologies to the match officials for my actions during the game. Match officials play an essential role in upholding the integrity and fairness of the sport and for the welfare of the players on the field and my conduct did not reflect the respect and professionalism they deserve.

“I acknowledge that my behaviour during the game fell short of the values that underpin rugby, including respect, discipline and sportsmanship. These values are fundamental to our game and I deeply regret that the actions which I took to protect a player failed to uphold them.

“Additionally, I fully accept that coaches and coaching staff, including myself, are not permitted to leave the technical zone during a game. I understand the importance of setting a positive example both on and off the field, particularly in my role as a coach. I am committed to learning from this experience and ensuring that my future conduct aligns with the standards expected in our sport.”

Chris Nixon, the club chairman, said: “The club accepts the technical fault of leaving the designated area by Duncan for which he has apologised and we accept the penalty given.

“However, in his defence, he was trying to protect one of our players following a reaction between both sets of players after serious foul play on one of our players by a Bury player.”