Owen Farrell, England’s rugby captain, may face suspension after World Rugby announced its decision to appeal against the rescinded red card. The appeal comes after a disciplinary panel cleared Farrell of any wrongdoing earlier this week. According to a report by Theguardian.com, England is expected to name their team to face Ireland soon, and it is believed that George Ford will replace Farrell as the fly-half.
The appeal is centered around whether the disciplinary panel was correct to consider mitigation in Farrell’s case. World Rugby’s head contact process states that mitigation does not apply in cases that are “always illegal” or “intentional.” World Rugby is likely to argue that Farrell’s tackle was “always illegal” and therefore mitigation should not have been considered. The panel initially ruled that Farrell’s tackle did not meet either criteria, but World Rugby disagrees.
The panel’s decision to consider mitigation is what ultimately saved Farrell from suspension. However, this decision received backlash, with critics claiming it undermines World Rugby’s commitment to player welfare. Several players, including Samoa’s Steven Luatua, criticized the ruling, highlighting the contradiction between player safety and the sport’s attempts to make the game safer.
A statement from World Rugby emphasized the importance of player welfare and the independent disciplinary process in upholding the sport’s integrity and values. World Rugby has reviewed the full written decision and believes an appeal is necessary.
An independent appeal committee will now be established to determine Farrell’s fate. If he is indeed suspended, his previous record suggests a ban of four to six weeks. This would rule him out of England’s opening World Cup fixtures against Argentina and Japan at the very least.
The Six Nations, as the organizers of the fixture, will provide details of Farrell’s second hearing in the near future. Initially, they had no plans to publish the wri
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