Cheika banned for 'disrespecting' match-day doctor

Leicester Tigers caput coach Michael Cheika has been suspended by nan Rugby Football Union (RFU) for "disrespecting" a match-day expert successful his first crippled successful complaint of nan Premiership side.

The 57-year-old Australian was charged pinch a breach of norm 5.12, which covers actions "prejudicial to nan interests of nan game", for his behaviour towards nan expert aft Leicester's constrictive opening-day triumph astatine Exeter Chiefs.

The erstwhile Australia and Argentina caput coach was deed pinch a two-week ban, pinch 1 suspended until nan extremity of nan season, aft an independent disciplinary sheet heard nan lawsuit connected Tuesday night.

Cheika will miss Saturday's Premiership lucifer distant to Newcastle Falcons arsenic a result.

The specifications of Cheika's issues pinch nan lucifer expert and nan circumstances astir nan incident are not known pinch nan afloat judgement yet to beryllium released by nan RFU.

"The sheet recovered that Michael Cheika disrespected nan Independent lucifer time expert successful challenging nan determination he had made that a subordinate was taxable to an IPR (Immediate Permanent Removal)," said Richard Whittam, who chaired nan panel.

"Although it was an different lawsuit because location was a deficiency of clarity astir nan decisions made astir nan caput injuries, nan decisions of nan Independent Match Day Doctor must beryllium respected.

"In this peculiar case, nan due punishment was 1 of 2 weeks. The sheet mitigated this by suspending 1 week until nan extremity of nan season."