La Rochelle head coach Ronan O'Gara. Alamy Stock Photo

La Rochelle boss O'Gara handed two-week ban for red card

The former Munster and Ireland player was sent off during the recent Top 14 meeting with Pau.

RONAN O’GARA HAS been handed a two-game ban and fined €3,000 following his red card in La Rochelle’s Top 14 loss to Pau on 3o November.

O’Gara entered the field to protest the red card shown to La Rochelle out-half Antoine Hastoy after just 34 seconds – the fastest ever red card in the Top 14.

The La Rochelle coach was ushered away by referee Jeremy Rozier but was later shown a red card in the 57th minute when off-field comments reached the ear of the referee.

A disciplinary hearing found O’Gara guilty of “acting against a match official” and “disrespecting the authority of a match official”.

The former Munster and Ireland player was handed a two-week suspension. An additional week was added due to his disciplinary history, but this was subsequently removed for his expression of remorse, acknowledgment of guilt and conduct around the hearing.

O’Gara’s suspension covers this weekend’s Champions Cup game away to the Stormers, and included last weekend’s opening round defeat of Leicester Tigers – which O’Gara watched from the stands.

The La Rochelle head coach will be back on the sidelines for the Top 14 clash with Bayonne on 20 December. The French side then play Toulouse and Toulon in the Top 14 before a Champions Cup trip to play Leinster in Dublin on 10 January.

Hastoy has been suspended for three weeks, reduced from six, for ‘reckless play.’

Club president Vincent Merling was also summoned following a report from the match officials, but faced no repercussions

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