The Nigeria Rugby Football Federation (NRFF) has summoned some players and officials to appear before its disciplinary committee following incidents in the Cowrie RFC vs. Racing RFC match last Saturday.
The highly anticipated South-West League match, held at the National Stadium’s Main Bowl in Surulere, Lagos, saw players disrespecting match officials in the closing moments. This prompted the Federation to take disciplinary action.
The incident unfolded after Cowrie’s fly-half, Joshua Rankin, scored a last-minute consolation try (15-5).
As Cowrie prepared for the conversion, Racing players protested, delaying the kick.
The Center referee Ifeanyi Arinze spent five minutes restoring order, ultimately canceling the conversion attempt and ending the match leaving the final score unchanged at 15-5.
In addition to the disruption over the conversion, match officials reported verbal exchanges and player-on-player abuse were also reported, constituting breaches of conduct.
The NRFF General Manager, Mr. Azeez Ladipo, who attended the match, spoke out on the need to uphold rugby’s core values, especially discipline, which he emphasized as a fundamental aspect of the sport.
