United Rugby Championship: Tom Jordan’s suspension slammed as ‘complete farce’ after Conor Murray’s injury

Jared Wright
Glasgow Warriors Tom Jordan Munster Connor Murray URC

Glasgow Warriors fly-half Tom Jordan will miss the Challenge Cup final against Toulon through suspension after his red card against Munster in the United Rugby Championship (URC) quarter-finals.

Referee Andrea Piardi sent Jordan off for his tackle on Munster scrum-half Conor Murray in the 25th minute of the URC play-off match.

Glasgow would lose the game 14-5 as Munster booked their place in the semi-finals, where they will face Leinster.

Intentional but not reckless

The URC released a statement confirming Jordan’s suspension, with the disciplinary panel deeming that his actions were intentional but not reckless.

It added that Murray was not injured despite the scrum-half being forced off the pitch and subsequently ruled out of the semi-final against Leinster.

“In the Player’s responses to the Judicial Officer overseeing the disciplinary process (Simon Thomas, Wales), he had accepted that he had committed an act of foul play which warranted a Red Card,” the statement read.

“Mr. Thomas found that the incident met the Red Card threshold, with entry of top-end warranting 10 weeks suspension.”

Jordan’s suspension has been reduced to five weeks for mitigation, including “unblemished disciplinary, timely guilty plea and apology” to Murray.

He could also have a one-week reduction on his sanction if he completes a World Rugby Coaching Intervention Programme.

Reaction

Jordan will not miss a single minute for Glasgow next season, with the URC listing Super 6 matches – Scottish club league – that will make up his suspension.

The notion that the tackle did not injure Murray and that the matches in Super 6 have been used to serve his ban have not been received well.

“Glasgow fly-half Tom Jordan given 5 week ban and we assume the Challenge Cup final v Toulon is one of them even although ERC don’t mention it among the games he is banned for.” tweeted Scottish Daily Mail journalist Rob Robertson.

Blood and Mud podcast co-host Josh Gardner slammed the disciplinary panel, tweeting: “If you don’t think what Tom Jordan did to Murray was reckless, I don’t think you should be on a disciplinary panel. And if you don’t think a brain injury that keeps a player out of the next game is ‘player injured’ you’re just factually wrong. An absolute mummer’s farce.”

“The ‘non-injured’ Conor Murray is going to miss more URC games as a result of this than Tom Jordan,” added @HugoGordon1.

‘Brain injury does not count as an injury’

Player welfare group Progressive Rugby stated that they have no issue with the ban but criticised the notion that Murray’s concussion was not deemed as an injury by the disciplinary panel.

“No issue with ban, but a HUGE issue with brain injury not being deemed an injury under the framework here. @URCOfficial you are meant to be acknowledging the seriousness of TBI, not perpetuating the dangerous myth that if you can’t see it, it doesn’t exist. Explanation please.”

“Seriously? The player was injured and is not available this week as a result – disciplinary hearings are a complete farce – awful judgement,” another reply read.

Lawyer Tim O’Connor also criticised the decision, tweeting: “Apparently, there is no need to deter intentionally hitting another player in the head. And apparently that player being removed from the pitch with a brain injury does not count as an injury to that player.”

In a follow-up tweet, he added: “Also note the semi-pro games accepted as being games a Scottish pro player would, apparently, absolutely be playing this year. Conor Murray will miss more URC games through a brain injury than the player who inflicted that injury on him through intentional foul play.”

READ MORE: Rugby World Cup: Winners and losers from Scotland’s 41-man training squad

Challenge Cup Conor Murray

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