Super Rugby
Horwill fined for referee outburst
ESPN Staff
May 26, 2014
James Horwill and the Reds react to defeat, Queensland Reds v Melbourne Rebels, Super Rugby, Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, May 17, 2014
James Horwill pleaded guilty to the misconduct charge © Getty Images
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Queensland Reds captain James Horwill has been fined $2,500 for claiming the Reds were "robbed by a stupid refereeing decision" in their Super Rugby loss to Melbourne Rebels earlier in the month.

Horwill pleaded guilty to misconduct at a judiciary hearing and offered to apologise to match officials for complaining that his side were badly treated in their three-point defeat.

The former Wallabies captain was angry after the video referee reversed a decision that led to Reds back-rower Ed O'Donoghue being red carded for eye-gouging Rebels captain Scott Higginbotham in the 79th minute of the game.

Melbourne landed the subsequent penalty goal to win the game and O'Donoghue was subsequently cleared of eye-gouging at a SANZAR judiciary hearing.

SANZAR judicial officer Nigel Hampton deemed Horwill's comments to be "a not particularly serious case of misconduct" and took into account the fact that they came 30 seconds after full-time.

"The consequences that followed was very raw and fresh in the player's mind and led him to vent his frustration in the way he did," Hampton ruled.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

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