Latest news with #OssettRUFC
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Drunk rugby fan who shouted humiliating sexist abuse at female referee banned and fined
A female rugby official was verbally abused by a drunk supporter and Ossett RUFC player who shouted 'get your baps out' at the referee. Casey Johnson was watching his team in action earlier this year when he made the comment which was found by the RFU to have been 'prejudicial to the interests of the game.' A disciplinary panel of English rugby's governing body banned Johnson from playing, coaching and watching rugby for 32 weeks. He also had to pay £125 in costs. The identity of the referee has been kept anonymous. In their summary judgement of the incident, the RFU panel said the phrase used by Johnson was 'abhorrent' and 'highly offensive.' Johnson admitted he was 'intoxicated' and 'had no real explanation for why he shouted the phrase'. His ban will expire on March 13 next year. In the referee's testimony to the RFU, she revealed how she had been 'shocked' by the comment made at her and that her hurt parents were in the crowd. The RFU said: 'It goes without saying that such a phrase shouted to a woman has no place in society, including rugby, and it plainly goes against rugby's core values. It has the very real potential to impact on the participation of women in rugby and cannot be tolerated.' Elsewhere, South Africa's hopes of bouncing back from their shock Rugby Championship defeat by Australia have been hit by injuries to iconic captain Siya Kolisi and other key players. The Springboks, who have won the last two World Cups, lost their No 1 ranking after conceding 38 unanswered points to the Wallabies at the weekend. The two teams will meet again in Cape Town on Saturday. But Kolisi is out for four weeks with a knee problem while Pieter-Steph du Toit – the current World Rugby men's player of the year – and wing Kurt-Lee Arendse are also set for spells on the sidelines.
The Sun
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Rugby player slapped with huge ban and fine after sick joke about female referee's boobs
RUGBY player Casey Johnson has been handed a huge fine and banned for a sick joke about a female referee's boobs. The Ossett RUFC prop has will not be able to participate or spectate at any rugby union games for the next 32 weeks. 1 Johnson made the sick joke while watching one of Ossett's matches. He admitted to shouting "get your baps out, ref" at the female official. During a hearing in June, he was found guilty of conduct prejudicial to the interests of the union and the game The panel said that the severity of the incident was a "top end" offence as "the phrase was abhorrent and highly offensive". Johnson admitted that he was "intoxicated" and had "no real explanation" for why he did it. The referee has chosen to keep her identity anonymous in the written verdict. She revealed that she was "shocked" by the sick joke and that her parents heard it as they were in the crowd. She added that they were left "heartbroken and angry" by Johnson's remarks. Johnson was set to be banned for a full 42 weeks, but due to his acceptance of the charge early on, it was reduced. The panel cut the suspension to 28 weeks and noted that he "appreciated at the time that what he had said was inappropriate and had intended to apologise to the match official at the end of the game but was advised by friends not to do so given his intoxicated state". He has also been forced to pay £125 in costs. Despite admitting to the previous comment, he denied saying 'show us your boobs', but the panel said it "made no difference" to the sanction. His full suspension is 'from playing, coaching and spectating from 1st August 2025 to 13th March 2026'. However, he is not banned from midweek training sessions. The referee was praised for handling the situation "impeccably" by the panel who also added how she dealt with the aftermath was "impressive". In her written testimony, the referee hailed the quick action the clubs took to identify Johnson. She wrote: "I was approached by the Ossett coach after the game who told me that he had been made aware by my dad during the game of the nature of the comments that were being made. 'The coach profusely apologised and informed me that they had sent someone over during the game to speak to the spectators. "After the game as I was walking to the changing rooms I was approached by the spectators' friends who apologised on his behalf... and also apologised to both of my parents at the end of the match. "Once changed, I entered the clubhouse and approached the Ossett coach to get the name of the spectator. "The coach returned two minutes later with their head coach, who had been watching the game, and the spectator's name. "The head coach apologised on behalf of the spectator and the club and condemned the spectator's behaviour and called it unacceptable, 'disgusting', and assured me it did not represent the values of the club. "Whilst I don't condone what happened, and I wouldn't wish it upon any match official. "I am glad that what started off as an uncomfortable and negative experience was made significantly better with the reactions and support that I've received both post-match and from people within the refereeing community.'
Wales Online
2 days ago
- Sport
- Wales Online
Rugby player banned after shouting 'get your baps out' at female referee
Rugby player banned after shouting 'get your baps out' at female referee Casey Johnson said he 'had no real explanation' for why he shouted the 'abhorrent' phrase at the match official The Ossett RUFC player has been banned for 32 weeks (Image: Google) A rugby player has been hit with a 32-week ban after shouting "get your baps out, ref" at a female referee while watching one of his club's matches. Casey Johnson, a player for Ossett RUFC in West Yorkshire, has been suspended from spectating, playing or coaching rugby until March having admitted to shouting the "abhorrent and highly offensive" phrase during a match earlier this year, with a Rugby Football Union panel finding him to have engaged in "conduct prejudicial to the interests of the union and the game". The RFU hearing in June heard how the referee - whose identity has been kept anonymous - was left "shocked" by Johnson's actions, with her "heartbroken and angry" parents in the crowd also hearing the remarks. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. Johnson was also charged with shouting "go on, show us your boobs" at the official, which he denied. However, the panel were content that this "made no different to the appropriate sanction". The panel heard that Johnson was "intoxicated" at the time of the incident and that he 'had no real explanation for why he shouted the phrase at the match official'. It also noted that he had 'appreciated at the time that what he had said was inappropriate and had intended to apologise to the match official at the end of the game". However, he was advised not to do so by his friends, due to his intoxicated state. Article continues below During the hearing, the referee was praised for handling the situation "impeccably" and carrying on with the match, while she herself commended the response of both clubs in the swift action they took against Johnson. Explaining what happened in her written testimony, the referee said: 'I was approached by the Ossett coach after the game who told me that he had been made aware by my dad during the game of the nature of the comments that were being made. 'The coach profusely apologised and informed me that they had sent someone over during the game to speak to the spectators. After the game as I was walking to the changing rooms I was approached by the spectators' friends who apologised on his behalf... and also apologised to both of my parents at the end of the match. 'Once changed, I entered the clubhouse and approached the Ossett coach to get the name of the spectator. The coach returned two minutes later with their head coach, who had been watching the game, and the spectator's name. "The head coach apologised on behalf of the spectator and the club and condemned the spectator's behaviour and called it unacceptable, 'disgusting', and assured me it did not represent the values of the club," she added. 'Whilst I don't condone what happened, and I wouldn't wish it upon any match official, I am glad that what started off as an uncomfortable and negative experience was made significantly better with the reactions and support that I've received both post-match and from people within the refereeing community.' Finding the incident to be a "top end" offence, the panel initially issued Johnson with a ban of 42 weeks. However, his remorse and acceptance of the charge "at the earliest opportunity", together with his clean disciplinary record, saw his suspension reduced by 33 per cent to 28 weeks. Applying a mandatory four week increase as per the guidelines on match official abuse issued by the RFU's Head of Judiciary last year, Johnson has been banned from playing, coach or spectating for 32 weeks, although this does not include mid-week training. He has also been made to pay £125 in costs. 'It goes without saying that such a phrase shouted to a woman has no place in society, including rugby, and it plainly goes against rugby's core values," the panel concluded. Article continues below "It has the very real potential to impact on the participation of women in rugby (whether as a match official, player, coach or spectator) and cannot and must not be tolerated. 'Female participation in rugby (whether playing, coaching, refereeing or spectating) is fundamental to the values of rugby union and a vital element of the game. 'That participation is put at risk by actions such as those of [Johnson] here and it is the responsibility of everyone involved in rugby to take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that such actions are removed from the game.'
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Sport
- Telegraph
Rugby player banned for telling female referee to ‘get your baps out'
An Ossett RUFC player has been banned from spectating or participating in rugby union for 32 weeks after shouting 'get your baps out, ref' at a female official while watching one of his club's matches. Casey Johnson, an Ossett player since the Covid pandemic, admitted the incident, which took place during a match this year, with a Rugby Football Union panel finding him guilty of conduct prejudicial to the interests of the union and the game in a hearing in June. The panel found that the severity of the incident – 'the phrase was abhorrent and highly offensive' – made it a 'top end' offence and initially imposed a ban of 42 weeks on Johnson, who said that he was 'intoxicated' at the time and 'had no real explanation for why he shouted the phrase at the match official'. The referee, whose identity is kept anonymous in the written verdict, described how she had been 'shocked' at the verbal tirade and how her parents, who were among the crowd and heard the remarks, were 'heartbroken and angry'. Johnson's subsequent remorse and his acceptance of the charge 'at the earliest opportunity', with a clean disciplinary record, meant that the panel reduced the suspension by 33 per cent, to 28 weeks. The panel noted how Johnson 'appreciated at the time that what he had said was inappropriate and had intended to apologise to the match official at the end of the game but was advised by friends not to do so given his intoxicated state'. Johnson, who was described as a 'positive influence' by a committee member at Ossett, was also forced to pay £125 in costs. Although Johnson admitted shouting 'get your baps out, ref' from the touchline during the set-up of a line-out, he denied adding 'show us your boobs'. However, the panel were content that 'made no difference to the appropriate sanction'. The panel added: 'It goes without saying that such a phrase shouted to a woman has no place in society, including rugby, and it plainly goes against rugby's core values. It has the very real potential to impact on the participation of women in rugby (whether as match official, player, coach or spectator) and cannot and must not be tolerated.' Johnson received a suspension 'from playing, coaching and spectating from 1st August 2025 to 13th March 2026', which does not include midweek training. The panel added how the referee 'handled the situation impeccably' and how 'her ability to continue to referee the game and deal with the aftermath of the incident [has been] hugely impressive'. In her written testimony, the referee praised the response of both clubs in identifying Johnson and taking swift action. 'I was approached by the Ossett coach after the game who told me that he had been made aware by my dad during the game of the nature of the comments that were being made,' she wrote. 'The coach profusely apologised and informed me that they had sent someone over during the game to speak to the spectators. After the game as I was walking to the changing rooms I was approached by the spectators' friends who apologised on his behalf... and also apologised to both of my parents at the end of the match. 'Once changed, I entered the clubhouse and approached the Ossett coach to get the name of the spectator. The coach returned two minutes later with their head coach, who had been watching the game, and the spectator's name. The head coach apologised on behalf of the spectator and the club and condemned the spectator's behaviour and called it unacceptable, 'disgusting', and assured me it did not represent the values of the club. 'Whilst I don't condone what happened, and I wouldn't wish it upon any match official, I am glad that what started off as an uncomfortable and negative experience was made significantly better with the reactions and support that I've received both post-match and from people within the refereeing community.' In conclusion, the panel also acknowledged and commended the approach taken by both clubs. 'Female participation in rugby (whether playing, coaching, refereeing or spectating) is fundamental to the values of rugby union and a vital element of the game,' the panel wrote. 'That participation is put at risk by actions such as those of [Johnson] here and it is the responsibility of everyone involved in rugby to take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that such actions are removed from the game.'
