A Rugby League World Cup referee who threw a tantrum at his fellow officials during last week's wheelchair final in Manchester has been suspended by the French Rugby League Federation. Laurent Abrial took on the secondary official in England's crunch match with France.
Hosts England proved victorious in the dramatic final, seeing off the French rivals 28-24 at Manchester Central. The final capped off a quite remarkable tournament for the sport, but it was slightly marred by Abrial's antics.
Throughout the contest, the French official was seen waving his hands and shaking his head in disagreement at some of the decisions from his colleagues.
The referee was then forced to be talked down over his outlandish actions, which earned a number of boos from the Manchester crowd as he became the pantomime villain of the final. The boos then continued when Abrial received his medal at the final presentation.
Speaking after the tournament finale, International Rugby League Secretary General Danny Kazandjian stated that an investigation into Abrial's conduct was set to follow.
Kazandjian said: "The referee’s performance is currently being reviewed but, based on publicly available evidence, IRL believes that an investigation into potential misconduct is warranted.
“If our investigation supports that initial view we will seek disciplinary actions through the independent IRL judiciary. Until the full process is concluded Laurent Abrial will not be considered for any appointments to international matches.”
What did you make of the referee's performance? Let us know in the comments section below.
And now, the official is feeling the effect of his actions having been suspended by his nation's federation. A statement on the decision read: "During the final of the XIII Wheelchair World Championship played on November 18, 2022 at “Manchester Central”, the inappropriate attitude of referee Laurent Abrial was noted by many spectators, television viewers, elected officials and representatives of international delegations.
“After the opinion of the President of the National Arbitration Commission, the President of the FFRXIII has decided to suspend as a precaution Mr. Laurent Abrial from all his duties as arbitrator pending consultations and decisions that may be taken by the authorities."
