The Exeter and England wing Jack Nowell has been hit with a misconduct rate after criticizing a referee on social media. The Rugby Football Union stated Nowell have been charged with habits prejudicial to the pursuits of the Union and the sport.
Nowell, who’s sidelined on account of an harm, spoke out on Twitter after his Chiefs colleague Olly Woodburn gained a 2d yellow card and used to be despatched off all through Exeter’s 62-19 Premiership defeat towards Leicester on Sunday.
Woodburn, who had already been within the sin-bin for a planned knock-on, accrued some other yellow from the referee, Karl Dickson, for diving at the Tigers wing Chris Ashton at the floor in an try to save you a take a look at after the Chiefs complete -back, Stuart Hogg, had tackled Ashton.
Dickson awarded a penalty take a look at, which intended some other yellow – and due to this fact a crimson card – for Woodburn.
Nowell and two different Exeter teammates who had been additionally no longer concerned within the sport – fellow England internationals Luke Cowan-Dickie and Henry Slade – vented their emotions. Cowan-Dickie tweeted that “rugby had lost the plot”, whilst Slade stated “I have no words”, however Nowell criticized Dickson in a since-deleted tweet: “I’m actually in shock, like shock shocked. What the hell is happening? That’s one of the worst decisions I’ve ever seen. EVER.”
The RFU said: “Jack Nowell, Exeter Chiefs, has been charged with conduct prejudicial to the interests of the Union and the game under RFU rule 5.12 for Tweeted criticism of the referee’s decision in the Leicester Tigers v Exeter Chiefs match on 16 April, to his 61,000 plus followers.
“The case will be heard tomorrow evening [Wednesday] by an independent disciplinary panel chaired by Matthew O’Grady, sitting with Martyn Wood and Guy Lovgreen.”
Even if he recovers from harm in time, any suspension may just sideline Nowell, who has captained Exeter in fresh weeks, from the Champions Cup semi-final towards La Rochelle in Bordeaux on 30 April.
Nowell is leaving Exeter on the finish of the season, with La Rochelle his most probably vacation spot.