9 Nov 2011

Samoa and Gloucester centre given three week ban

8:49 am on 9 November 2011

Serial tweeter and Samoan international centre Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu has been banned for three weeks by England rugby officials for several comments he made on social network site Twitter.

The Gloucester player posted the remarks about Saracens' Owen Farrell, after his side's loss late last month.

Fuimaono-Sapolu has also been pulled up for making further critical comments about the rugby disciplinary process, the World Cup and the International Rugby Board.

His suspension runs until November 28th.

He was recently given a six-month suspended ban for his Twitter rant during the World Cup in New Zealand. This latest ban doesn't necessarily trigger the IRB's six-month ban.

Fuimaoino-Sapolu was charged with misconduct after he accused Welsh referee Nigel Owens of being racist and biased following Samoa's defeat by South Africa.

It was agreed his sentence would be suspended for two years if he retracted his comments and apologised to Owens, completed at least 100 hours' rugby community work in Samoa, and pass a recognised referee's course.