This is arguably the most mind-boggling red card in recent years. Josaia Raisuqe, the former Stade Français winger, was penalized for … lifting the referee at the end of the Pro D2 match between Béziers and Nevers (25-30) on Friday night.
While the referee had just whistled the end of the meeting which sealed the victory of the Nivernais in the Hérault, Raisuqe, very happy, saw fit to replay a bad remake of a cult scene from the cartoon “The Lion King” by lifting the referee, Laurent Millotte, like a feather or a trophy. The rules in rugby are however extremely clear: it is forbidden to touch a referee. And a fortiori to lift it like a piece of straw. The time to understand what was happening to him and Laurent Millotte logically took out the red card.
The young Fijian risks a long suspension
On the sidelines, the Nevers coach did not take offense at the madness of his player. ” It is unacceptable. I know he will be punished by the disciplinary committee, it’s quite normal, complained Xavier Péméja. And me, I’m going to take care of him, I can’t accept him. It’s going to go very, very badly ”.
The 26-year-old Fijian risks a long suspension but his club could decide to fire him for serious misconduct. Because in his case, the locker is already loaded. This is the fifth red card of his career. But, above all, he was dismissed in 2017 by the Stade Français after his custody for “voluntary violence while intoxicated” and “sexual assault” following a night altercation in a street in the capital. Last June, Raisuqe was also sentenced to six months suspended prison for these facts.
