WATCH: Cheetahs star banned for gross act on opponent
Nico Lee won't play for almost three months after clearing his nose in the face of Connacht's Colby Fainga'a.
Nico Lee of Toyota Cheetahs is tackled by Stephen Fitzgerald of Connacht during the Guinness Pro14 match between Connacht and Toyota Cheetahs at The Sportsground on February 16, 2019 in Galway, Ireland. (Photo by Harry Murphy/Sportsfile/Gallo Images)
In one of the more bizarre – and pretty disgusting – unsportsmanlike acts ever seen on a rugby field, Cheetahs star Nico Lee has been banned for 13 weeks.
The act? He cleared his nose on an opponent!
Cheetahs player Nico Lee banned for 13 weeks after he "accepted that he had cleared the contents of his nose onto the face of an opposing player." pic.twitter.com/bpXRqT0L6l
— Murray Kinsella (@Murray_Kinsella) February 20, 2019
The 24-year-old centre had to front up to a Pro14 disciplinary hearing after committing the “act of stupidity” on Colby Fainga’a last weekend during the Cheetahs’ 17-25 loss to Irish side Connacht.
“Lee accepted that he had cleared the contents of his nose on to the face of an opposing player, thereby committing an act of foul play,” the governing body said in a statement.
“The Player’s actions are an act of foul play. They have no place in the game. This is not a case of over-exuberance, or an act which is within the rules of the game going awry. It follows that by its nature, this act is one that is deserving of punishment. It is contrary to the spirit of sport.”
The Pro14 also noted how disturbing the whole incident must’ve felt to Fainga’a.
“The effect on the victim player was understandably serious. There is no expectation, and there ought never be an expectation, that an opposing player would clear the contents of their nose on to an opponent,” the statement continued.
Lee took to Twitter to issue a rather awkward apology, where he doesn’t actually mention Fainga’a.
“I would just like to start by apologising to Cheetah rugby, my teammates, the supporters and the Pro14. And everyone that believed in me, for my actions,” he said in a short video.
“That’s not the type of person or player I am. It was an act of stupidity. I would just like to say sorry, and apologise for everything.”
Lee would’ve been suspended for an incredible 26 weeks, but the sentence was reduced due to his clean previous disciplinary record.
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