Leicester Tigers women's coach Luke Stratford banned for seven weeks for verbal abuse
- Published
Leicester Tigers are bottom of the Women's Premiership Rugby table with just one win from eight games in their first top-flight season so far
Leicester Tigers forwards coach Luke Stratford has been suspended for seven weeks for verbally abusing a match official during their Women's Premiership Rugby defeat by Bristol.
He was cited for using an expletive and calling fourth official Adam White "a joke" during the match on 13 January.
A disciplinary panel found him guilty of "conduct prejudicial to the interests of the game".
Sanctions for abuse of match officials has recently been increased in England.
The Rugby Football Union said the seven-week suspension followed their decision to give players and coaches longer bans for such behaviour at all levels of the game.
Stratford is said to have acknowledged official White's report on the incident and "fully accepted" his behaviour was "inappropriate and unacceptable".