Tonga centre George Moala’s appeal against the decision of a Judicial Committee to suspend him for five matches arising from an act of foul play contrary to Law 9.18 (lifting tackle) in Tonga’s Rugby World Cup warm-up match against Canada on 10 August, 2023, was heard remotely on 24 August, 2023.
The independent Appeal Committee was chaired by Christopher Quinlan KC (independent Judicial Panel Chairman), Brenda Heather-Latu (Samoa) and Judge Mike Mika (New Zealand).
The Appeal Committee dismissed the player’s appeal against the entry point of the offending. Having considered the evidence before it, the Appeal Committee found that the Judicial Committee which heard the case at first instance was entitled to find that the tackle warranted a mid-range entry point and accordingly upheld the decision of the Disciplinary Committee.
As Moala has been selected in the Tonga Rugby World Cup 2023 squad the suspension remains as imposed by the Judicial Committee and therefore the player will miss the following matches:
- Tonga v Canada – 15 August, 2023
- Clermont Auvergne v Perpignan – 26 August, 2023
- Ireland v Tonga – 16 September, 2023
- Scotland v Tonga – 24 September, 2023
- South Africa v Tonga – 1 October, 2023
The full written decision will appear here once available.
Junaid Siddique of the United Arab Emirates has been fined 25 per cent of his match fee and two demerit points have been added to his disciplinary record for two Level 1 breaches of the ICC Code of Conduct during the third Twenty20 International against New Zealand in Dubai on Sunday.
Siddique was handed an official reprimand and one demerit point was added to his disciplinary record for breaching article 2.5 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon his/her dismissal during an International Match.”
He was also fined 25 per cent of his match fee and one more demerit point was added to his disciplinary record for another offence later in the match, when he breached article 2.8, which relates to “showing dissent at an umpire’s decision.”
As a consequence, Siddique has two demerit points on his disciplinary record as he has not had any previous offences in the preceding 24-month period.
The first incident occurred in the fifth over of New Zealand’s innings, when Siddique moved in close proximity to dismissed batter Tim Seifert and shouted aggressively at him.
Then in the 17th over, Siddique showed dissent by using inappropriate language towards the umpire when an appeal for a dismissal was turned down.
Siddique admitted the offences and accepted the sanctions proposed by Andy Pycroft of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, so there was no need for a formal hearing.
On-field umpires Akbar Ali and Shiju Sam, and third umpire Aasif Iqbal levelled the charges.
Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50 per cent of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points.
