Jaco Peyper’s Damning Testimony

The EPCR has made available the complete transcript of the disciplinary proceedings concerning Johnny Sexton, which features comprehensive testimonies from the officials involved as well as the player’s own account of the incident.

This extensive 36-page document released by the EPCR encompasses the six-hour-long disciplinary hearing and includes detailed testimonies from Peyper and his assistants.

PEYPER’S TESTIMONY:

“After the final whistle, whilst waiting on the field for the medal ceremony, and becoming aware of Johnny Sexton (the Leinster player who was not in the Match Squad for the final) taking a position near us and staring at us. I was still standing near the halfway line with my assistants, taking instruction from EPCR’s Match Director, Ben Harries, as to how the match officials’ medals presentation would work.

“I became aware that Sexton was approaching my assistants and I, speaking loudly and angrily. Match officials commonly refer to this type of behaviour as ‘spraying’. I could not hear what he was saying because of the noise in the stadium, but from his body language, facial expressions, and gestures (he pointed at us as he was speaking), I could tell that he was upset. It was clear from his increasing proximity and aggressive demeanour that he wished to confront us and did so intentionally. My assistants were also aware of his hostile reaction, and one [Karl Dickson] reached across to keep him at a distance before he moved away from us and approached a gathering of Leinster players and staff.

“Following our instruction to move across to the medal presentation position, my assistants, the TMO and I became aware that Johnny Sexton had followed us across the field and taken up a position a few metres behind us and to our left. He was with a little boy. As soon as we realized that he had taken up a position behind us and was staring at us, we turned our backs to try and avoid any further confrontation with him.

“Following the award of our medals, my assistants, the TMO and I left the stage and made our way across to the position identified by match manager. We became aware that Johnny Sexton had turned this way too and started to follow us. We decided to leave the pitch over the touchline nearest the tunnel. As we passed the ‘Champions board’ (where the winners normally congregate for a photograph), we kept our heads down and continued to make our way to the touchline to avoid engaging and to prevent a further confrontation.

“There was no further engagement with Johnny Sexton once we had left the field, and I was not aware of any continuation of his behaviour, which had been provocative throughout. I was very pleased that nobody on my team of four reacted.

“I have not received any contact post-match around this matter from Leinster or Johnny Sexton, and also no explanation or apology of any form for this conduct,” concluded Peyper.

The hearing heard that Sexton accepted his conduct in incident 1 was “completely unacceptable” for which he “apologised unreservedly”.