Sheffield Eagles boss Aston handed 18-month ban
Mark Aston had been in charge of Sheffield Eagles since 2007
- Published
Sheffield Eagles boss Mark Aston has been banned from coaching in rugby league for 18 months.
Aston was suspended in July by the Championship club, along with physio Mick Heys, while an operational rules tribunal looked into a medical compliance matter.
The pair were charged by the Rugby Football League with breaching rules around returning to playing after a head injury.
The breach concerned the appearance of Matty Marsh in a Challenge Cup tie with Wigan in March, 13 days after he had suffered a head injury and without the necessary medical clearance.
Aston, who has led Eagles since 2007, will not be allowed to coach or hold any senior role influencing team selection until 30 April 2026.
Heys has been banned from holding a medical role in the sport for 18 months, although six months of that punishment has been suspended for a year because he "admitted his conduct at the outset".
All parties were given 14 days to appeal against the verdicts from 22 October.
The RFL said in a statement: "Sheffield Eagles were a party to the tribunal and the RFL expects to reach an agreed decision with the club pursuant to operational rules and pending the outcome of any appeal process which is likely to involve a considerable fine and a monitoring, improvement and educational plan."
'Very serious breaches'
Tribunal chair Judge Batty said Aston and Heys had committed "very serious breaches" of the operational rules and therefore had to face "significant penalties".
“Head contact has become a serious issue in professional rugby in both codes of the game," Batty said.
"Both codes have recognised the need to implement rule changes, safety procedures and medical protocols in order to lessen the incidence of head contact and the impact of it upon those who play.
"The processes adopted are the result of detailed research and consultation with many medical experts. They are accepted to be the minimum standard to ensure the safety of those who play the game.
"The rules are detailed and specific and most of all are to be rigidly observed."
In April of last year, BBC Sport reported that a group of former football, rugby league and rugby union players taking legal action, claiming that they suffered brain injuries playing their respective sports, had grown to 378.