World Rugby have announced the first coach suspension following a new Match Official Abuse Sanction process which is being used in this international window.
Italy Head Coach, Gonzalo Quesada has received a two-match suspension for comments regarding match officiating made in his post match press conference last weekend.
Agreed at Shape of The Game forum in February, and starting this July, the new Match Official Abuse Sanction Process is in play for the World Rugby Junior World Championship, WXV Global Series and Challenger, the World Rugby Nations Cup and the Nations Championship.
Process & criteria
The process is targeted at reducing comments which often are the basis of the unacceptable increase in abuse and threats towards match officials. If any cases are identified, an independent panel comprising the independent judicial panel chair and two experienced judicial panel members is a formed. According to World Rugby’s statement, they consider whether any conduct or comments made by “team personnel” includes among other things:
- allegations that a match official acted with bias, prejudice, improper motive, external influence; or
- deliberate intent to affect an outcome and/or
- conduct which, viewed objectively, they knew or ought to know would undermine public confidence in match officials.
The panel conducts an “assessment of comments and takes account of a full range of factors including the nature and reach of the comments, the timing, the role of the speaker and any aggravating factors, such as whether the conduct led directly to an increase in personal abuse against a match official. Outcomes can range from “no further action” to a guidance letter, formal warning, or automatic sanction under the framework.”
This also follows a report last week from Signify which analysed player and MO abuse at RWC 2025. The social media protection programme for match officials and players shows, since 2023, that a large proportion of social media abuse begins with inaccurate comments on refereeing performance from those in positions of authority.
Quesada two week stand down
In line with that, World Rugby confirmed that an automatic two-match suspension was issued to Gonzalo Quesada (Italy Head Coach), which includes a ban on all match-day activity, including being present in the stadium, as a result of comments made in broadcast, and subsequently reported, following the Nations Championship match against New Zealand on 11 July. Quesada and the FIR can appeal the sanction and take it to a full judicial committee hearing.
It isn’t known if any other coach’ comments across the competitions were identified, addressed or led to the lower levels of sanction in the process.
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