Home Rugby Newcastle Falcons Director of Rugby Steve Diamond Receives Six-Match Ban for Verbal Abuse

Newcastle Falcons Director of Rugby Steve Diamond Receives Six-Match Ban for Verbal Abuse

by Osmond OMOLU
rugby

Newcastle Falcons’ Director of Rugby, Steve Diamond, has been handed a six-match suspension by the Rugby Football Union (RFU) following an incident involving verbal abuse towards match officials. The misconduct occurred after Newcastle’s narrow 17–15 defeat to Exeter Chiefs in the Premiership on March 29, 2025.

RFU’s Stance on the Incident

The RFU’s disciplinary panel determined that Diamond’s language was “inappropriate, abusive and completely contrary to the core values of rugby.” Such behavior was deemed a violation of RFU regulations prohibiting conduct detrimental to the sport. The RFU emphasized that abuse of match officials is unacceptable at all levels of the game.

Diamond’s Response

In response to the ruling, Diamond issued an apology to the match officials involved. The disciplinary panel considered his acknowledgment of wrongdoing and subsequent apology when determining the length of the suspension.

Impact on Newcastle Falcons

The suspension comes at a challenging time for Newcastle Falcons, who currently sit at the bottom of the Premiership table with 10 points from 13 games. Diamond’s absence from the touchline for six matches could further impact the team’s performance as they strive to improve their standing.

Historical Context

This is not the first time Diamond has faced disciplinary action for comments directed at match officials. In 2017, while serving as Sale Sharks’ Director of Rugby, he received a six-week stadium ban for criticizing a referee’s decisions in a post-match interview.

The RFU’s consistent enforcement of conduct regulations underscores the importance of maintaining respect for match officials and upholding the integrity of the sport.

You may also like

Leave a Comment