Rugby player Ryan Wilson faces a minimum 12-week suspension for allegedly grabbing the testicles of another player, according to BBC.
Wilson, who plays for Glasgow, is accused of reaching for opponent Lee Dickson’s baby-makers during the 25th minute of Glasgow’s match against the Northampton Saints on Sunday. He will be disciplined at a hearing Wednesday, with any suspension likely keeping him from playing for Scotland in the Six Nations Championship.
From the BBC:
Under World Rugby guidelines, the offence of ‘testicle grabbing or twisting or squeezing’ carries a suggested punishment of 12 weeks at the low end of the scale, to 18 weeks for a mid-range offence, and anything from 24 to 208 weeks (four years) at the top end of the scale.
Wilson, who sounds like a wonderful fellow overall, missed last year’s Six Nations Championship after being suspended three months for assaulting another rugby player during a night out. Rugby really doesn’t mess around with its suspensions.
American sports have a long and storied history of grabbing, punching and kicking in the crotch but don’t tend to come down quite as hard when it comes to punishment.
Chris Paul missed one game after this nut-punch.
NFL player Shaun Smith wasn’t suspended at all following not one but two allegations of testicle-grabbing.
Last year, Shaun Livingston got only a one-game ban for this knock to Dirk Nowitzki’s nuts.
The lesson apparently is, if you’re going to hit someone below the belt, don’t do it in Europe.
[BBC]
