Super Rugby
Coach investigated after row with cameraman
ESPN Staff
April 2, 2014
Cheika has been involved in several controversial moments this season © Getty Images
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Super Rugby's governing body SANZAR is to investigate a complaint against NSW Waratahs coach Michael Cheika after a sideline incident in Durban at the weekend.

South African broadcaster Super Sport claims that Cheika had a brief verbal confrontation with one of their camermen during his team's loss to the Sharks at Kings Park on Saturday. The clash came after Cheika left the coaches' box and walked to the side of the pitch.

"There was a confrontation with the cameraman, the coach objected to Super Sport filming him and he approached and abused him," a Super Sport spokesman said. "A couple of choice words were used. Where Super Sport draws the line is being threatened."

Cheika was asked after the game why he had walked down to the pitch. He said he had wanted to get a message to his captain, Dave Dennis, who was serving 10 minutes in the sin bin. "The Sharks captain was continually in the ear of the referee. When [the referee] came into the dressing room before the game and spoke to our captain he said 'don't come up and talk to me unless there's a point. So I asked Dave to get involved there and say 'you can't keep talking to the referee all the time, we have to play'. The game was stopping far too much, there was too much talking around those things, which hurt us."

The alleged incident comes two weeks after Cheika broke a pane of glass in the coaches' box at Canberra Stadium where his team lost to the Brumbies.

Super Sport said a complaint was lodged with the match commissioner Peter Strydom, who in turn sent it to SANZAR.

"We have received correspondence," a SANZAR spokesman said. "Like all matters of this nature, won't be making further comment until we've had the opportunity to review."

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