Top 14: Perpignan threaten
Heineken Cup pull out; Rodrigo Roncero banned for 30 days
06 November 2008
 Perpignan
have upped the ante in the ongoing row over Marius Tincu’s
18-week ban, threatening to pull out of the Heineken Cup
unless the ruling is overturned.
The drastic move, which came after the ERC’s disciplinary
commission found the hooker guilty of eye gouging against
Ospreys prop Paul James, would not only be a major blow to
the competition but also to new star signing Dan Carter –
who opted to sign for Perpignan specifically because of
their Heineken Cup involvement.
But it seems the Catalan club are hell-bent on overturning
Tuesday’s ruling, claiming it has been made without
sufficient evidence to warrant such a ban. If the ruling
remains in place Tincu, a Romanian international, would be
unavailable to play until March.
A Perpignan statement variously labelled the commission’s
decision as “scandalous”, “grotesque” and “worthy of a
banana-boat republic”.
It added: “USAP will use all means possible, including going
in front of civil courts if necessary, to defend their
player Marius Tincu and reserve the right to resort to
measures which will have the heaviest consequences for the
competition if the club aren’t heard.”
Perpignan are currently level with second-placed Ospreys in
their Heineken Cup group, and are due to play Leicester
twice in December – when All Black fly-half Carter is
expected to make his debut.
In a separate disciplinary hearing, this time by France’s
LNR, Stade Francais’ Argentinian prop Rodrigo Roncero has
been banned for 30 days for ‘unsportsmanlike conduct’
towards Toulouse flanker Thierry Dusautoir.
Roncero, who was also sent off against Toulon earlier in the
season, would miss Argentina’s November internationals if
the stamping ban stays in place.
The 31-year-old, capped 29 times by the Pumas, has appealed
the decision, allowing him to play against France in
Marseille on Saturday.
But if he loses his appeal he will definitely miss
Argentina’s games against Italy in Turin and Ireland in
Dublin. He could also miss Stade’s Heineken Cup clash with
Harlequins on December 6th.
Finally, on a lighter note, Brive’s ex-England international
Ben Cohen has been nominated for a top award by gay rights
group Stonewall.
The World Cup winner, and father of twins, is one of five
nominations up for the gong in London on Thursday evening.
Organisers said that Cohen had made the shortlist after
celebrating his gay fan base with a special drinks reception
for his male admirers at London’s Dorchester Hotel last
year.
Cohen has already picked up the Gay Times’ ‘Sports
Personality of the Year’ award, beating David Beckham into
second place. And he also came second in the GT’s ‘Sexiest
Man of the Year’ category.
|
