Club statement: Siale Piutau disciplinary verdict

Director of Rugby Pat Lam said: “The hearing on Thursday evening was outstanding and we thank Sir James Dingemans and the panel for their transparency and excellent clarity on the matter.

“For Siale Piutau and the club to be able to go through the process in a fair and objective manner was really pleasing and we are grateful for the opportunity to be able to give feedback to the panel to ensure continued improvement.

“This matter was never about the length of Siale’s suspension, but rather about understanding the justification and reasons that underpinned the judiciary process. We were aligned on the clear message throughout the appeal hearing that punching, irrespective of context, is never acceptable on a rugby field.

“The judiciary process has come a long way and it’s our responsibility as professional clubs to continue to give feedback and be part of collaborative dialogue however we can.

It’s great to see that those channels of communication are open and we are pleased that representatives from the RFU have agreed to meet next week for us to discuss ways that we can keep developing the game that we all love for the benefit of everybody.”