Top 14 Orange
Outspoken Boudjellal given 130-day ban
ESPNscrum Staff
January 26, 2012
Toulon's Mourad Boudjellal arrives for his disciplinary hearing, Paris, France, January 25, 2012
Mourad Boudjellal arrives for his hearing on Wednesday © Getty Images
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Players/Officials: Mourad Boudjellal
Tournaments/Tours: Top 14 Orange
Teams: France | Toulon

Toulon owner Mourad Boudjellal has been hit with a 130-day ban following his incredible outburst after their Top 14 clash with Clermont Auvergne back on January 8.

The outspoken supremo claimed he had experienced a refereeing 'sodomy' after their loss to Clermont and was hauled in front of a disciplinary panel at the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR). The committee found him to have damaged the image of rugby and the spirit and conduct of the sport. The 130-day ban will end on June 3, 2012.

The suspension is far-ranging with the owner banned from the playing enclosure, the area between the ground and the supporters, the changing rooms and the passages leading to these areas within the stadium. It remains to be seen how Boudjellal will react to this ban but it is reported that he refused to apologise for his comments regarding referee Christophe Berdos. And on Wednesday, the outspoken Toulon supremo labelled French rugby 'racist'.

And reports from France suggest that Boudjellal is unlikely to appeal the sentence. It appears he will instead attempt to find some compromise within the ban to allow him to enter the changing room.

In the same hearing, the LNR looked into a brawl between Agen and Biarritz on January 6. Both clubs were found guilty and while Agen were fined €5000, Biarritz's poor record led to an increased €6000 fine.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

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