Video: Rugby player banned for life after knockout punch to referee

The referee was sent to the hospital and the game was called out.

A rugby player in France has been banned from the sport life after he knocked out a referee with a punch during a game last month, FFR XIII announced Friday. 

The incident occurred during a French junior cup match between Saint-Esteve and Toulouse on April 22. Saint-Esteve’s Hedi Ouedjdi was shown a yellow card by referee Benjamin Casty after 25 minutes of play and punched Casty in the head, knocking him unconscious. 

Casty was sent to the hospital and the match was abandoned. 

This makes @gazhock12 look like a saint! Wonder what grade the RFL would give this one @drmarwanK the alphabet probably not long enough!👊😩 pic.twitter.com/4Fj61nAmf2

— Derek John Beaumont (@derek_beaumont) April 27, 2017

“The player not only undermined the physical integrity of a referee, Benjamin Casty, but also tainted the image of a sport that had not experienced such a reprehensible act in a long time,” the federation said in a statement. 

Saint-Esteve is a feeder club for the Catalans Dragons, who are led by Remi Casty, the brother of the referee involved in the incident.