Leicester coach Michael Cheika handed two-week ban for disrespecting match doctor

Leicester Tigers head coach Michael Cheika has been handed a two-week ban—one week of which is suspended—after being found guilty of disrespecting a matchday doctor during his team’s Premiership match against Exeter Chiefs on 21st September.

The incident occurred in Cheika's first match in charge of the club.

The disciplinary panel concluded that Cheika’s actions violated the RFU’s rules, specifically accusing him of showing "conduct prejudicial to the interests of the game." The incident took place after Leicester’s Ollie Chessum and Solomone Kata collided while attempting to tackle Exeter’s Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, resulting in concerns over a potential head injury.

“Although it was an unusual case because there was a lack of clarity about the decisions made about the head injuries, the decisions of the Independent Match Day Doctor must be respected," read a RFU statement.

“In this particular case, the appropriate sanction was one of two weeks. The panel mitigated this by suspending one week until the end of the season.”

Following the collision, the independent matchday doctor ruled that Chessum needed to be permanently removed from the match and undergo a head injury assessment (HIA). Chessum was subsequently stood down for 12 days in line with concussion protocols, causing him to miss Leicester’s defeat against Bath the following weekend.

Kata, on the other hand, was not removed for a head injury assessment, but was later shown a red card for a dangerous tackle and received a separate four-match suspension. Cheika’s conduct in challenging the doctor’s decision regarding the player’s removal led to the disciplinary action against him.

While Leicester Tigers accepted the panel’s decision, they released a statement expressing disappointment with the "disrespectful" ruling, citing multiple witnesses who supported Cheika’s version of events and emphasized that he was not intimidating or aggressive during the exchange.

“The club is also disappointed that despite its request not to do so, the RFU issued a statement announcing the panel’s decision despite the club having not yet been provided with the written judgment and knowing the exact reasons for the decision,” Leicester said.

“Leicester Tigers would like to place on record that it would never question the World Rugby head injury assessment process when correctly implemented, and is rigorously committed to the safety, wellbeing and health of our players.

“We will be seeking clarification on the above and reserve the right to appeal the decision.”

The ban means Cheika will miss Leicester’s upcoming Premiership fixture as he serves the penalty, but he will be eligible to return for the following match.