Mum who intervened in ‘serious violent act’ in U14 match banned from touchline
This article is written by The Rugby Paper
A mum who ushered away a U14 rugby player who’d been stamping on the head of a prone player has been banned from the touchline for bringing the game into disrepute.
Stella Little originally received a 12-week ban after the off-the-ball incident in Essex last March that left the victim requiring hospital treatment for facial injuries and concussion.
In the ruling, a RFU disciplinary ruled that ‘the real 'victim' was the game itself’ which had been ‘harmed’ by Mrs Little crossing the respect rope barrier to intervene.
Mrs Little appealed the ruling and was confident of being cleared, but while the appeal panel noted that her actions were triggered by a ‘serious violent act’ and caused no wider issues, it upheld the ban but reduced it from 12 to five weeks.
“I respect concerns about spectators going on the pitch, but there needs to be common sense and it raises very serious issues around safeguarding if we are going to allow children to assault each other,” Mrs Little said.
“It happened right in front of me, and the officials were not aware. I’d challenge any spectator not to feel they had to step in to protect a vulnerable child from being attacked.
“What do the RFU think will turn parents off sending their child to rugby? Banning spectators from the sideline or letting attacks like that play out? He could have been very seriously injured.”
In a video of the incident, provided to the hearings, the final stamp is seen to strike the side of the vulnerable player’s head close to his eye before striking down on his shoulder.
Mrs Little is seen to move towards the touchline where the incident unfolds and grabs the aggressor after he is thrown off the boy by his own player and ushers him away from the scene.
The original RFU panel report stated that the aggressor had been ‘dealt with’ by his club and the RFU Youth Disciplinary Secretary but did not disclose whether any punishment had been imposed.
The Rugby Paper report that one week after Mrs Little’s action, a Havant player, Armandus Morgan, was cited for ‘a headbutt to the head’ of an opponent against Shelford RFC and banned for three weeks, a quarter of the original suspension imposed on Mrs Little.
Prof John Fairclough, of player welfare lobby group Progressive Rugby, said: “At a time when it’s crucial the game demonstrates its commitment to the welfare of its players, it’s ridiculous to see a parent banned for protecting a child from what it acknowledges was ‘a serious violent act.”
“At a time when it’s crucial the game demonstrates its commitment to the welfare of its players, it’s ridiculous to see a parent banned for protecting a child from what it acknowledges was ‘a serious violent act.”