World Rugby has implemented a new Match Official Abuse Sanction Process, a framework designed to address public criticism of officials. The process was activated for the first time with the case of Gonzalo Quesada (Italy), who received an automatic two-match ban, later reduced to one after a hearing.
The new disciplinary tool introduces an expedited procedure for violations against match officials, with automatic sanctions reviewable at a hearing. Its first application, on the Italian head coach's case, illustrated how it works: two initial matches, reduced to one after the hearing.
The development, reported by World Rugby in the dedicated communiqués, confirms the establishment of the framework and its operational debut on the Quesada case definitively.
