A Fairwater RFC player has received an unprecedented 192-week ban for allegedly slapping the cards out of a referee's hands before verbally abusing him.
Louis Jones received a second yellow card during his club's 14-0 home defeat to Llanharan on January 7.
Jones allegedly then slapped the card from the referee's hands before swearing at him.
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The Welsh Rugby Union has seen fit to ban Jones under 'law 9.28 - abuse of match official' - and have suspended the back-row forward from playing rugby for more than three and a half years because this was his second offence of this nature.
Back in 2018, Jones faced criminal charges at Merthyr Tydfil magistrates for assaulting a referee after he had accused him of cheating during an ill-tempered cup match.
Jones’ actions cost him £1,750 in total – a £1,000 fine, £500 costs and £100 victim surcharge. He was also ordered to pay the referee, Karim Cosslett, £150 compensation.
He was banned from all rugby for 96 weeks for that offence.
WalesOnline understands Fairwater RFC are also now on a final warning from the WRU.
Just last November their division three east central clash against Pentyrch was abandoned after Fairwater had four players red carded for a series of alleged violent incidents. You can read that story here.
One Fairwater player sent to the sin bin for a no-arms tackle. The same player was then shown a red for committing the same offence moments after returning to the field of play.
The second red card was dished out when a Fairwater player was penalised for allegedly dropping a knee into the back of a Pentyrch player, while another man got sent off for allegedly throwing punches.
With Pentyrch holding an 18-0 lead, a Fairwater player allegedly punched an opponent and as a result received their fourth red card meaning the referee had no choice but to abandon the game.
A witness, who was at the game but didn't want to be named, said: "It was disgusting. I've watched rugby all around the world and this was one of the worst things I've ever seen in terms of violence. It can't be a part of rugby. It needs to be stamped out. The WRU need to take action and pressure needs to be put on the WRU to take action."
A WRU spokesperson said of the ban for Jones: “A player was ordered from the field of play for an act contrary to World Rugby Law 9.28 and was then charged and suspended for a breach – physical abuse of a match official."
Fairwater head coach Brendan McAloon told WalesOnline the second yellow card Jones received was "debatable", insisting the frustrated player accidentally knocked the cards out of the official's hand as he remonstrated over the decision. He said it did not amount to physical abuse.
"It was a silly reaction but he only tapped the card out of the referee's hand. He was frustrated because they were two yellow cards for technical offences and the second one was debatable."
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