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Denny Solomona to face disciplinary panel over homophobic slur allegation
By Ian Cameron
Denny Solomona is set to face an RFU panel over allegations that he used a homophobic slur.
The RFU statement reads: “Denny Solomona of Sale Sharks will appear before an RFU Disciplinary panel charged with conduct prejudicial to the interests of the Union or the Game, contrary to RFU Rule 5.12.
“In the weekend’s Premiership match between Sale Sharks and Worcester Warriors, Solomona allegedly verbally abused a Worcester Warriors player. The incident occurred in the second half of the match.
The Sharks’ winger will appear before a three-person independent disciplinary panel chaired by Samantha Hillas near Stockport on Thursday 5 April at 6:30pm.”
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The alleged incident happened at approximately 55 minutes following a scuffle between Worcester Warriors flyhalf Jamie Shillock and Sale Sharks’ wing Denny Solomona.
The referee mic clearly picks up Shillcock complaining to the referee about the repeated use of a homophobic slur by a Sale player.
The mic picks up the Worcester pivot claiming: “He said it three times” and “he made a homophobic slur twice”.
The complaint was picked up by the commentary team who suggested that may well be further “ramifications”.
In January Toulon centre Mathieu Bastareaud was suspended for three weeks following the use of a homophobic slur during his club’s Champions Cup, Round 5 match against Benetton Rugby at Stade Félix Mayol.
The ref mic picked up Bastareaud calling Benetton’s Sebastian Negri a ‘f***ing f****t’ which caused a storm of criticism for the Toulon centre.
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Bastareud took to Twitter to apologise for his actions, writing: “Good evening everybody, I want to apologize to my response to the insults of the Italian Player.
“I reacted badly in responding to his provocation, I am sincerely sorry for the people I hurt.”
