Devon rugby player punched an opponent after a scrum didn't go his way

A Devon rugby player punched an opponent and broke his eye socket and cheekbone during a match because a scrum didn't go his way. Jack Richards apologised in person to victim Jamie Davidson outside of Bournemouth Crown Court after being ordered to pay him £4,000 in compensation.

The incident happened when Sherborne RFC faced Wellington RFC in a league game at the Terrace Playing Fields in Sherborne on March 4, 2023, with Davidson playing for the hosts and Richards playing for the away team.

Front row prop Richards swung at Mr Davidson after his team had just lost a sixth scrum in a row during a match, the court heard. Mr Davidson was left feeling dizzy and with blood pouring from his nose following the off-the-ball attack, as SomersetLive reports.

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Prosecutor Matthew Mortimer said Richards was frustrated by Sherborne's dominance and approached Davidson from behind, striking him in the face. He told Bournemouth Crown Court: “After winning the scrum, Mr Davidson began to move across the pitch. As he walked away, the defendant approached him from behind and swung a punch at him over his right shoulder.

“This punch met with Mr Davidson’s face and he fell to the floor in a daze, bleeding from his nose. Mr Davidson stated he did not have much knowledge of what was going on around at this time and was assisted from the pitch by a teammate. He was sat on the sideline for approximately 10 minutes and continued to feel dizzy.”

Mr Davidson’s mother, who is a nurse, examined his face and told him to go to Yeovil District Hospital. A CT scan revealed Mr Davidson suffered two fractures to his right eye socket and cheekbone.

Mr Davidson’s injuries were so severe that Mr Davidson underwent surgery to insert two metal plates to align his cheekbone. The subsequent recovery saw him suffer from pain, bleeding, and unable to work as a self-employed plumber for several weeks.

In a victim impact statement, he reflected: “I have been playing rugby since the age of eight. Although I have not previously suffered any serious injury, I have always felt safe amongst the players from my team and numerous teams I have had.

“The incident has made me question where I should continue to put my health and well-being on the line for the sport I love. Had this been an accident which happened as part of the game or he showed any concern for my well being, I might have felt differently. But it was a deliberate act (...) and it should not be allowed to happen during a game of rugby.”

Richards admitted to Dorset Police he punched Mr Davidson but did not intend to hit Richards “hard enough to hurt him”. When Richards was substituted from the pitch in the 65th minute, he said he was “highly concerned” for Mr Davidson's welfare when he learned he had been hospitalised.

Richards, aged 26 and of Ashill in Devon, previously pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm at Weymouth Magistrates’ Court and appeared at Bournemouth Crown Court for sentencing.

Defending, Mr Edward Boyce, confirmed that Richards had only played two rugby games since the assault and has not been referred to the Rugby Football Union for further disciplinary action. He would only self-refer himself to the RFU if he returned to playing rugby.

Mr Boyce added several figures wrote character references for Richards which described him as a “role model” with a “spokesman-like attitude” and “does the right thing”. He remarked: “He is 27 years old and he pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity. He has no previous convictions.

“He says his reputation is everything and he lost that by his plea and his words a ‘punch thrown by him violates his own moral code’.”

His Honour Judge William Mousley observed that while rugby is a physical sport, especially in scrums, players cannot justify injuring others in the heat of the moment. He told Richards: “People who play rugby on a Saturday afternoon must appreciate that simply because they play rugby on a Saturday afternoon, although it is a physical contact sport, it does not give people licence to behave in a way that would be completely inappropriate and unlawful in any other circumstances.

“Self-control is absolutely vital, particularly for those who play in the position you and he were playing on that day.”

Richards was issued a community order where he must complete 200 hours of unpaid work and pay £4,000 in compensation to Mr Davidson, £340 in court costs and a surcharge. Sherborne RFC won the fixture 23-17 in a game that local media outlet Around Wellington observed started as a “scrappy affair”.