Ireland captain, Johnny Sexton, is set to face a disciplinary committee regarding "misconduct complaints" arising from the Heineken Champions Cup final.
The complaints, filed by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR), will be reviewed by an independent disciplinary panel on July 13. This panel will also investigate misconduct allegations against Leinster, Sexton's province.
The incident occurred when Sexton engaged in a verbal exchange with match referee Jaco Peyper after the final at the Aviva Stadium on May 20. Leinster suffered a narrow 27-26 defeat to La Rochelle in the Dublin decider, with Sexton unable to play due to injury.
Both the player and the province have been summoned to appear before an independent disciplinary committee in mid-July, nearly eight weeks since the Champions Cup final. However, neither Sexton nor Leinster has been officially charged with misconduct at this point. The upcoming hearing will determine whether any misconduct was committed.
EPCR have summonsed Johnny Sexton to a hearing on July 13 relating to hue behaviour towards match officials after the Heineken Champions Cup final on May 20
Seems an awful long time to keep him waiting considering the significant impact it could have pic.twitter.com/rywDnUGMFz— Rúaidhrí O'Connor (@RuaidhriOC) June 29, 2023
According to a statement from EPCR, "After thorough fact-finding and careful review of Johnny Sexton's behavior towards match officials after the match, the EPCR disciplinary officer has submitted misconduct complaints so that an independent disciplinary panel can determine whether any misconduct has been committed by Mr. Sexton (through his behavior) and Leinster (through failing to exercise reasonable control over Mr. Sexton)."
The complaints have been referred to the chairman of the independent disciplinary panel, who has appointed Christopher Quinlan KC (England, chair), Adam Casselden SC (Australia), and Marcello D'Orey (Portugal) as the independent disciplinary committee to hear the case and consider whether misconduct occurred. The hearing, conducted via video conference, is scheduled for July 13.
If found guilty of using abusive language towards an official, Sexton, who is part of a 42-man Ireland squad, could face a 10-week ban. Such a suspension would significantly disrupt Ireland's World Cup preparations. It is worth noting that Sexton plans to retire after the World Cup in the autumn.
