Cheika banned for 'disrespecting' match-day doctor

Leicester Tigers head coach Michael Cheika has been suspended by the Rugby Football Union (RFU) for "disrespecting" a match-day doctor in his first game in charge of the Premiership side.

The 57-year-old Australian was charged with a breach of rule 5.12, which covers actions "prejudicial to the interests of the game", for his conduct towards the doctor after Leicester's narrow opening-day win at Exeter Chiefs.

The former Australia and Argentina head coach was hit with a two-week ban, with one suspended until the end of the season, after an independent disciplinary panel heard the case on Tuesday night.

Cheika will miss Saturday's Premiership match away to Newcastle Falcons as a result.

The details of Cheika's issues with the match doctor and the circumstances around the incident are not known with the full judgement yet to be released by the RFU.

"The panel found that Michael Cheika disrespected the Independent match day doctor in challenging the decision he had made that a player was subject to an IPR (Immediate Permanent Removal)," said Richard Whittam, who chaired the panel.

"Although it was an unusual case because there was a lack of clarity about the decisions made about the head injuries, the decisions of the Independent Match Day Doctor must be respected.

"In this particular case, the appropriate sanction was one of two weeks. The panel mitigated this by suspending one week until the end of the season."