Another England star suspended

NEWS: England's Tom Curry has become the latest England player to receive a suspension for foul play.

The flank received a red card in his side's 27-10 win over Argentina in the World Cup over the weekend.

After attending an independent Disciplinary Committee hearing for an offence contrary to Law 9.13 (dangerous tackle), Curry received a two-game ban.

It was a three-game suspension, but it will be reduced to two following a "successful completion of the Coaching Intervention Programme".

French referee Mathieu Raynal first handed Curry a yellow card in just the third minute following a clumsy clash of heads with Argentine fullback Juan Cruz Mallia, but that was eventually upgraded to red under the new Foul Play Review system.

"The player accepted that foul play occurred and that the offence warranted a red card," said a disciplinary statement.

"The Committee noted that the offence carries a mandatory minimum mid-range sanction [six matches], and having considered the mitigating factors, including admission of foul play and correctness of the red card at the first opportunity, an exemplary disciplinary record, apology to the player and good character, reduced the sanction by the maximum mitigation of 50 percent.

"The final sanction of three matches is to be applied as follows:

England v Japan, 17 September

England v Chile, 23 September

England v Samoa, 7 October (The player will be free to play in this match subject to successful completion of the Coaching Intervention Programme*)."

The statement added: "The player has the right of appeal within 48 hours of the issuing of the full written decision, which will appear here once published."

Curry was the third England player to be red-carded in their last four matches.

No.8 Billy Vunipola missed the Argentina match due to suspension after he was dismissed against Ireland in a pre-World Cup warm-up last month.

Flyhalf Owen Farrell also missed the World Cup opener and will sit out England's next match against Japan too for his red card in a warm-up against Wales.

Additional source: AFP