Posted on Fri Mar 16, 2007 at 02:08:27 PM EST in Other Sports
More on: rugby, fight, suspension, Ron Artest, Trevor Brennan (all tags)

We don't usually report on the world of rugby, but this incident had us reminiscing back to the Malice in the Palace when Ron Artest went, well Ron Artest on a fan in the stands. David Stern should keep this in mind should another mentally imbalanced NBAer decide to partake in a similar showdown between player and spectator.

Trevor Brennan is a forward for the Toulouse rugby club who got fed up with being taunted by a fan of the opposing team back in late January and decided to take action into his own hands and go, well Ron Artest on his ass. After having beer poured on him (hmm, Artest didn't seem to like that either) and having his mother insulted, Brennan hopped into the stands and knocked the Christmas cap right off the head of an Ulster fan who was obviously still full of the holiday spirit.

Brennan had been suspended from the league since the episode occurred and eventually announced his retirement, but that didn't stop the European Rugby Cup from dishing out some punishment of their own. The ERC has banned Brennan for life and fined him $33,250; in addition to $6,650 he has been ordered to pay to guy he punched.

It was the view of the committee that Mr. Brennan's behavior was completely unjustified and that he caused serious harm to an innocent spectator and significant damage to the image of rugby union," the three-man disciplinary panel said. "The committee could not envisage more serious misconduct in relation to spectators and believed that the maximum permissible suspension was appropriate.

A 73 game suspension suddenly doesn't sound very harsh.

Links:
[IHT.com]: IRELAND'S TREVOR BRENNAN BANNED FROM RUGBY FOR LIFE FOR PUNCHING FAN
[IrishExaminer.com]: BRENNAN SLAPPED WITH LIFE-TIME BAN

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