France star’s SIX-MONTH biting ban controversially cut after appeal as World Rugby details reasonings
Axelle Berthoumieu biting during the Rugby Wold Cup 2025.
World Rugby have confirmed that France stars Axelle Berthoumieu and Manae Feleu will miss the remainder of the Women’s Rugby World Cup through suspension.
The pair both appealed their proposed sanctions by the Foul Play Review Committee (FPRC) and subsequently faced a Disciplinary Committee with mixed success.
Feleu’s three-match ban has been upheld, meaning she will miss France’s semi-final meeting with England as well as either the bronze final or final on 27 September.
She is able to reduce her suspension to two matches if she successfully completes the Coaching Intervention Programme.
In this case, the Disciplinary Committee agreed with the sanction proposed by the FPRC, with the player admitting she committed an act of foul play contrary to Law 9.13 (dangerous tackle), but disputed that it merited a red card.
After reviewing the submissions, the Disciplinary Committee concluded that the tackle was high, it made contact with the head of the Ireland player, and the degree of danger was high. Accordingly, the committee upheld the citation.
Biting ban reduced
Meanwhile, Berthoumieu’s actions have been far more controversial after the flanker was seen biting Ireland’s Aoife Wafer during the Women’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final, which France won 18-13.
The incident caused a massive stir on social media, with onlookers baffled as to why the officials, particularly the TMO, missed the incident. In a statement confirming the FPRC’s proposed sanction, the committee remarked: “In reviewing the matter live, the TMO was unable to determine clear and obvious foul play and did not have the benefit of additional evidential submissions to corroborate.”
The Foul Play Review Committee suggested an 18-week ban for the forward but did not award full mitigation on her sanction, which meant that had she accepted it, she would have been banned for the remaining two Rugby World Cup matches as well as a further 10 matches in her domestic championship.
That would mean that Berthoumieu would only be free to play again after 1 March 2026.
However, the Les Bleus star also appealed the decision and has subsequently had her 12-match, six-month suspension reduced to nine matches in doing so. She will now be free to play again in December 2025.
This is because the FPRC and the independent Disciplinary Committee did not agree on the level of mitigation that the player should be afforded. The former deemed that full mitigation was not warranted due to the seriousness of the player’s actions, and that the player had the opportunity not to continue with the action. This, despite the player acknowledging that foul play had occurred and was remorseful.
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Contrasting views
In the latest disciplinary update via a World Rugby statement read: “The Disciplinary Committee agreed and concluded that the appropriate entry point was mid-range. Therefore, the starting point is a suspension of 18 weeks.
“In considering mitigation, in light of the player’s admission, her clean disciplinary record, her remorse and public apology, the committee concluded that the player was entitled to full mitigation of 50 per cent.
“The FPRC had taken a different view to the level of mitigation, stating: ‘Full mitigation was not given due to the seriousness of the player’s actions as it appeared from the video footage that the player appeared to nudge Ireland number seven’s forearm twice before she bit her, suggesting an intention to bite the Ireland player, and two opportunities to stop and not continue with a bite, not taken by the player.’
“However, the committee decided that, pursuant to World Rugby Regulation 17, those factors are relevant to the assessment of the seriousness of the conduct (i.e. the entry point) but not to an assessment of the extent of mitigation. Therefore, the Disciplinary Committee discounted nine weeks, not six weeks, from the starting point of 18 weeks and imposed a final sanction of nine weeks.
“As a result, Berthoumieu has been suspended for nine matches and will miss the remainder of France’s Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 fixtures, including the upcoming semi-final against England and either the bronze final or final on 27 September, and a further seven matches in her domestic championship.”
