English Premiership
Horsman fined and banned by Warriors
PA Sport
October 8, 2008
Wales and Worcester prop Chris Horsman, August 4 2007.
Worcester have fined and banned Wales international Chris Horsman ahead of his RFU disciplinary hearing © Getty Images
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Players/Officials: Chris Horsman

Worcester have fined and banned their Wales international prop Chris Horsman ahead of his Rugby Football Union disciplinary hearing in Bristol tomorrow.

The 31-year-old was cited for allegedly kicking Harlequins prop Mike Ross during Worcester's Guinness Premiership defeat against the Londoners at Sixways last Thursday. The Warriors though, have made something of a pre-emptive strike, hitting Horsman with a two-week suspension and fining him £2,000.

It means he will be unavailable for Worcester's opening two European Challenge Cup games against Italian club Petrarca and Romanian champions Bucuresti. In a statement, the Warriors said, "As a club, Worcester Warriors do not condone violent conduct, and as such, have imposed a suspension on the player for a period of two weeks and imposed a fine on the player of £2,000.

"As the proceedings are still to be determined by the RFU panel, the club, guided by legal advice, will not be making any further comment concerning the matter until the conclusion of the RFU proceedings."

Horsman has won 14 caps for Wales, making two appearances during last year's World Cup, including the tournament-ending defeat against Fiji in Nantes.

He was reported following the Quins game by independent citing officer Rob Hardwick, and will now appear before a three-man panel comprising Christopher Quinlan (chairman), John Doubleday and Paul Murphy. Horsman's ban and financial penalty imposed by his employer will undoubtedly be taken into account.

Punishments for kicking an opponent can range from anything between two weeks and the maximum sanction of 52 weeks. A mid-range sentence would be an eight-week suspension.

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