Disciplinary Committee Decision: Tom Curry (England)

England’s Tom Curry attended an independent Disciplinary Committee hearing for an offence contrary to Law 9.13 (dangerous tackle) as a result of a review by the Foul Play Review Official in England’s Rugby World Cup 2023 Pool D match against Argentina in Marseille on 9 September. The player accepted the red card and was suspended for two matches (subject to completion of the Coaching Intervention Programme).

England’s Tom Curry appeared before an independent Disciplinary Committee on Tuesday, 12 September having received a red card, following a review by the Foul Play Review Official, in England’s Rugby World Cup 2023 Pool D match against Argentina in Marseille on Saturday, 9 September for an offence contrary to Law 9.13 (dangerous tackle).

The independent Disciplinary Committee was chaired by Adam Casselden SC (Australia), joined by former players John Langford (Australia) and Jamie Corsi (Wales).

The player accepted that foul play occurred and that the offence warranted a red card. The Committee noted that the offence carries a mandatory minimum mid-range sanction (six matches), and having considered the mitigating factors, including admission of foul play and correctness of the red card at the first opportunity, an exemplary disciplinary record, apology to the player and good character, reduced the sanction by the maximum mitigation of 50 per cent. The final sanction of three matches is to be applied as follows:

• England v Japan, 17 September
• England v Chile, 23 September
• England v Samoa, 7 October (The player will be free to play in this match subject to successful completion of the Coaching Intervention Programme*)

* The player intends to apply to take part in the World Rugby Coaching Intervention Programme to substitute the final match of the sanction for a coaching intervention aimed at modifying specific techniques and technical issues that contributed to the foul play subject to successful completion.