Richard Cockerill: Leicester Tigers boss admits ban warranted

Leicester Tigers director of rugby Richard Cockerill has admitted his nine-game suspension was warranted.

The 42-year-old was banned for his behaviour during the 37-17 Premiership final win over Northampton in May.

His suspension will start on Saturday after the club made an unsuccessful appeal against the length of it at a disciplinary hearing last month.

"Was I disappointed? No. I probably got what I deserved," Cockerill told BBC Radio Leicester.

"If you look at it in the cold light of day, I shouldn't have done what I did. There are reasons in and around that with what happened on the field."

Tigers chief executive Simon Cohen has been critical of the treatment of his director of rugby and warned there is more "fallout" to come.

And Cockerill echoed Cohen's remarks of the tribunal process.

"It has already been said that there were issues with the process and how some things were handled," he added.