When we think of rugby union, we generally think of the breaks, tries, good passes, and everything else that the sport has to offer.
However, just as in life, anything can be found in rugby, as the sport has a dark side that few people prefer to mention.
Today, we’ll look at those fiery players that went above and beyond when it came to defending and tackling for the ball.
Dylan Hartley
The Northampton hooker was suspended for 26 weeks in April 2007 after gouging Wasps duo James Haskell and Jonny O’Connor.
He was suspended for eight weeks in March 2012 after biting Ireland flanker Stephen Ferris at Twickenham while on England duty.
He was given a two-week suspension in December 2012 for striking Ulster’s Rory Best.
He was suspended for 11 weeks in May 2013 for assaulting referee Wayne Barnes during the Saints’ Premiership final defeat to Leicester, and as a result, he missed the Lions’ tour of Australia.
Richard Loe
All Blacks prop Loe, also known as The Enforcer, had a bit of a reputation. When he was found guilty of purposefully pushing his fingers into the eyes of Otago full-back Greg Cooper “with substantial force” during the national championship final in October 1992, his deeds caught up with him.
Calum Clark
During the 2012 LV Cup final, Northampton flanker Clark was found guilty of intentionally hyperextending and fracturing Leicester hooker Rob Hawkins’ arm. The suspension was originally set at 64 weeks, but due to his guilty plea, it was reduced to 48 weeks.
David Attoub
Stade Francais is a football stadium in France. After gouging Ulster’s Stephen Ferris during a tense Heineken Cup match at Ravenhill in December 2009, Attoub was banned.
Ferris stated at the hearing that:
“The contact was very strong and extremely painful – the finger in my right eye was forced downward in a poking and gouging motion; it was someone trying to drive a finger as hard as he could into my eye socket and I could not prevent it.”
Bakkies Botha
The Springbok lock racked up a lot of bans. Eight weeks in 2003 for “attacking the face” of Australian hooker Brendan Cannon; three weeks in 2009 for striking another Wallaby, Phil Waugh; two matches in the same year for an illegal clear out on Adam Jones in the second Lions Test; four weeks in 2010 for a similar offence on Gio Aplon; and nine weeks in 2010 for a headbutt on Jimmy Cowan. Unquestionably one of the dirtiest rugby players of all time.
