A Blue Bulls Rugby Union (BBRU) disciplinary committee adjudicated the matter in Pretoria on Monday night and banned the 17-year-old matric boy for ten years, of which seven were suspended, Beeld reported.

The boy, a pupil at Hans Strijdom High School, pleaded guilty to assaulting referee Chris de Beer, 37, earlier this month during a match in Mookgophong.

De Beer, a member of the Blue Bulls Rugby Referee’s Society, was unconscious for some time, and had to be treated by paramedics on the field.

Louis Nel, president of the BBRU, said the school boy had been “banned from anything associated with rugby”.

He said the committe had taken two extenuating circumstances into consideration, namely the fact that it was the boy’s first offence, and secondly that his mother was terminally ill.

De Beer said on Wednesday that he was very disappointed with the outcome of the hearing, and that he had resigned from the referee’s society.

“The punishment is ridiculous, and it will result in referees being increasingly exposed to this kind of violence.”

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Mon May 20 04:48:37 SAST 2013 ::

Apr 26, 2012

Papage

This sport is not safe at all. maybe we need to check if it is right for school kids to play the sport, maybe we need to put an age limit.
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Apr 26, 2012

BlueBullz

Pagage

Kids need to be taught respect, thats all.....and if they dont respect elders they need to get f@cked up, plain and simple
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Apr 26, 2012

Shredder

His role model is Bees Roux. Daai referee is te swaak. Knocked down unconscious by a 17 year old?
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Apr 30, 2012

KarlZimbiri

@Papage, I agree with U but only to an extent that we are referring to SA. Other countries with this sport are not experiencing the violent behaviour that SA is experiencing from rugby players. While most of U can quickly recall what Bees Roux did, many have forgotten what the five members of Noordelike Rugby Union did to a young fellow called Tshepo Matloha.
The people playing this sport are very violent even when U catch the same lift with them in these university buildings they might slaughter U.

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